I'll Be There for You
by Skaterstar57
Summary: Sora is a normal boy trying to survive through school, friends, crazed ex-girlfriends...or they think they were his girlfriend, and stalkers. And his best friend just came back from the dead as an angel. Yep, totally normal. RikuxSora, AkuRoku, Cleon.
1. Just a Normal Boy

Hola, I am Skaterstar57! Welcome to "I'll Be There for You". This is my first story on here, and I hope you all like it.

**Summary:** Sora Hikari is a normal 16-year-old trying to survive through school, friends, crazed ex-girlfriends (or they _think_ they were his girlfriend) and stalkers, or at least he thinks he is normal.

**Disclaimer:** First of all, I do not own Kingdom Hearts, nor do I own the characters from Kingdom Hearts of the characters from Final Fantasy ones. The only character I own in this is **Sonja**, Sora's mom. But geez, don't we **ALL** wish we owned Kingdom Hearts?

**Warning:** This fic will contain **yaoi** (boyxboy love). If you do not care for boyxboy love, I suggest you leave. This fic will also contain **language**. Especially from my little Sora. Hehe.

**Reviews:** If you love me you will review! (**Riku:** Who would ever love you?) ...Good question. But it shall remain unanswered as of yet.

**-Edit Note-: **Yeah, I know it's been forever…over a year, actually. I just hope you can forgive me. I'm doing the same thing I did with AUG—I'm going to edit all the previous chapters, and then write new ones. But I am back, I assure you.

**A/N:** I've read through this chapter like...50 times or something. I've still probably made a ton of spelling or grammar mistakes, I just hope you can forgive me. Okay, I think that's it. Oh...and if you review I will give you cookies! (**Sora:** Can I have a cookie?) No! Anyway, on to the story! -Secretly hands Sora a cookie-

* * *

I'll Be There for You - Chapter 1. Just a Normal Boy

-o-

"You don't know what you got till it's gone." -- **Cinderella** - Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)

* * *

Sora Hikari is a normal 16-year-old trying to survive through school, friends, crazed ex-girlfriends, (or they_think_ they were his girlfriend), and stalkers, or at least he thinks he is normal. Every day he gets woken up by his mother, or at least she attempts to wake him up...

"Sora, time to get up," Sora could hear the faint sing-song voice of someone...no...definitely a woman. Sora rolled over on his side and gripped his sky blue sheets in his fists, pulling them nearly over his head.

"SORA, you are getting up, NOW," Sora heard the same voice; only it did not sound as pleasant. Deciding to ignore it, he pulled his pillow over his head, attempting to muffle the annoying voice that was getting louder, and **louder**, and **LOUDER**.

"Sora Victor James Wellington Hikari the III, you can not stay in this bed another minute. I will not have a son who stays in bed all day long. So, you are getting out of this bed this instant, you hear me!" In the very back of his head Sora heard a muffled voice under his pillow, he did not catch all of it, of course, the pillow muffled out some words.

Sora processed what he had just heard. '_Sora, you can stay in bed all day, you hear me!'_ Sora smiled as he slipped back fully into dreamland.

Sora's mother sighed, realizing she wasn't making any progress. _Click._ She felt as if a light bulb had just lit above her head. She got an evil gleam in her eyes as she remembered the best way to wake up Sora. "Okay, Sora, this is the last straw. You have driven me over the edge way too many times waking you up, so, I am resorting to plan thunderbird."

Sora was stirred out of his dream of having endless food to eat all day long, when he heard a faint voice mention the name "Thunderbird". No! Sora quickly grabbed onto the metal bars of the back of his bed and held on for dear life.

Sora's mother grabbed onto his ankles, and started to pull like there was no tomorrow. "Sora, if you keep this up you'll kill your mother." She started to tug harder when Sora did nothing but cling tighter to his bed. Even though he was holding on with a vengeance, he was still asleep.

Sora's mother tried her hardest to pull Sora out for five minutes. Fully exhausted, she decided to go with her next plan: plan blizzard. She let go of Sora and held her hands up in defeat. "Fine then, become a lazy bum for all I care." Sora heard the annoying voice leave the room. Finally! No more interruptions, just sweet sleep.

Sora's mother quickly ran downstairs toward the kitchen and got out a big pot, the biggest she had. She held it under the sink until it was nearly full and pulled it out. She quietly walked up the stairs, making sure not to wake his majesty up. She set down the pot on the floor so she could open the door, she picked back up the pot and walked in as quiet as a mouse. She smirked when she saw his "Majesty" was laying there, a big goofy grin on his face, while snoring like there was no tomorrow.

She tiptoed up to Sora's bed, being careful not to spill the pot on her way, and waited at the edge of the bed. When Sora turned fully to rest on his back, instead of his stomach, she prepared herself. _Okay, on the count of three,_ she thought._1...2...3!_ "Plan blizzard, it's your time to shine!" his mother yelled as she poured the ice cold water over a very surprised Sora.

Sora jumped out of his bed and looked around frantically. Bloody murder was written all over his face. He quickly went against a wall as he laid eyes on his giggling mother. "What the fuck was that all about!" yelled the extremely angry, and now freezing cold, Sora.

"You wouldn't get up again, your Majesty." She mock bowed. "So, I first tried plan 'Thunderbird', you clearly won, I don't know how you do you it when you're asleep. Anyway, I then decided to try plan blizzard,"—she smirked—"obviously, it worked."

Sora pouted as he started to shiver. "B-but it's s-summer, Mom!" he objected. "I shouldn't have to get up this early!"

"I don't care if you never had school again for the rest of your life, you will not sleep like a lazy bum through breakfast." She shook her finger at him while placing her left hand on her hip.

_Food!_ Sora thought. "Breakfast?" Sora's eyes immediately shot up.

"Yes, yes," Sora's mother hurriedly answered. "But first you have to take a bath, young man." She pushed Sora towards the bathroom. "Get dressed and cleaned up, or no dessert for you at dinner tonight."

Sora glared at his mother, but alas, it turned more into a pout. "I hate you."

Sora's eyes looked at the now giggling female form of him. It was truly incredible how much they looked alike, really. She had deep sky blue eyes, just like Sora's. Her shoulder length cinnamon brown hair was soft and slightly curly, but it was mostly straight and hung down slightly over her eyes. Her tanned skin matched perfectly with her hair. She was only about a half an inch taller than Sora, but Sora couldn't help but feel intimidated by her when she gave him that death glare she always seemed to have fixed on him; if not, she was always in a fit of giggles. Truly remarkable woman he had for a mother.

His mother winked. "I love you, too." She blew a kiss as she turned and walked out of his room.

Sora groaned. "Why me?" he softly pleaded.

* * *

Every day Sora Hikari would eat his breakfast. Well, if you could call it eating. His mouth worked more like a vacuum, sucking it all in, not even being able to taste it. And every day, he would not only eat it in five minutes flat; but also eat a_lot_ of it.

Some time later Sora ran down the stairs yelling, "Food!" as his stomach growled. His mother chuckled slightly and placed a plate of food in front of him. She watched, amused, as Sora shoveled down (in about five minutes, miraculously enough), five pancakes, three servings of scrambled eggs, a couple of servings of hash browns, two waffles, eight strips of bacon, and a nice share of orange juice and milk. Just as he was done, he began to peel a banana and munch it down as well.

Sora looked up at his mom with an innocent smile. "Sonja, may I—"

"Sora, how many times have I told you to call me, 'Mom'. You are my son after all." She glared at him.

Sora muttered under his breath. He looked up at her again, with his puppy dog eyes she just couldn't resist. "Please then, _Mom_, may I go now?"

Sonja sighed. She never could resist _the_ "eyes", and if she ever dared, she just could not, and would not ever be able to turn down the pout. She swore he got that from his father. "Fine, just be back before dark," she reluctantly gave in.

Sora grinned and kissed Sonja on the cheek. "Thanks, Mom!" He started to head towards the door, and then as if remembering something, stopped in his tracks. "Hey, where's Roxas?" Sora cocked his head to the side cutely as he turned around to face his mother once again.

"Oh," she thought about it for a second, while taking a sip of her coffee, "he's still asleep."

"WHAT?" Sora screeched. "He's still in bed while I've already had breakfast! Am I missing something here?" he demanded.

"He's younger than you are," she replied, taking another sip of her coffee.

"Yeah," Sora scoffed, "by a year."

"Well," she started reluctantly, "he sort of got in late last night." She smiled wickedly.

"What! No way! Who?" Sora asked, mortified.

"That's the thing," she giggled, "I don't know."

"Liar!" accused Sora.

She shook her head frantically while pressing her lips together to not let another giggle slip out.

"Oh, you do too know!" Sora pointed his finger at his mother. "You **ALWAYS** do that when you're lying!"

Before she could control herself, she blurted out, "It was Axel!" She finally couldn't contain herself and fell down to the kitchen floor laughing—_hysterically_

"AXEL!" Sora yelped. "I thought they were just friends! How did this happen?" Sora raised an eyebrow.

"Don't know, don't care." She shrugged her shoulders. "Isn't it just great?" She grabbed Sora's hands and started dancing around in a circle with him. "My Baby's growing up!" She then pulled Sora in a life-threatening hug and continued to hold on until she heard Sora gasp out, "Mom, I...need...air."

Sonja let go of her son to see his face a nice shade of purple. "Sorry, sweetie, now you run along. I must get up Roxas." She got this determined look on her face as she grabbed a pitcher of orange juice and her spatula. "Plan deathroad, it is your time!"

Sora shook his head. He swore the woman was pure evil down inside. She walked up the stairs quietly as Sora grabbed a piece of toast. After getting something to drink he headed to the door as he heard someone screech, "Roxas Matthew Robert Wellington Hikari the V, you get up this instant, you hear me!" Sora heard a pitcher of orange juice poured all over someone as they got whacked with a spatula. "Poor Roxas..." Sora started to feel sympathetic. He grabbed the door handle and went out. "Oh well, not my problem!"

* * *

Sora Hikari may be a normal boy, as he called himself, but his friends certainly were not. He kept reassuring himself this as a squealing girl with emerald eyes tackled him to the ground. It was the instant he had exited his house when the attack had taken place, and Sora swore on his mother's grave... (**Sora:** Wait! My Mom's not dead! **Skaterstar57:** We are not having this conversation again… Beside the point, you can't talk to me! **Sora:** Then why are you talking about me?! **Skaterstar57:** Because…I have a twisted mind and wanted to make a another fic with you and Riku… **Sora:**_Riku!_ I'm with Riku again?! Why can't people be more original?! I mean, Riku is getting old… **Riku:** What do you mean old? **Skaterstar57:** -Sighs- I give up then. Fine, Sora swore on his _grandmothers'_ grave… **Sora:** Hah! Gran's not dead either! **Skaterstar57:** Fine then, your _hamster_...**Sora:** That was an accident! I was three! How would I know what would have happened anyway? I didn't even know what a microwave was!**Skaterstar57:** -Shoves Sora and Riku back into the story plot line- Now stay there and be good boys! I'll even throw in some cookies if you're good, Sora. **Sora:** Cookies!)

_Anyway_, Sora swore on his _hamster's_ grave that the girl was drawn to him magnetically. Sora, realizing he needed air more than ever now, squirmed in her arms while gasping out, "Oxygen…is nec…essary…to live…Selphie…" Sora gave a sigh of relief when she got off of him. After taking several deep breaths he was back to his normal self.

"Sorry about that Sora." Selphie blushed. "I'm just so excited that school's out now!" She literally jumped for joy.

"Yeah, I am, too," Sora agreed with a smile.

"Really?" Selphie took his hands in hers and started jumping up and down. "We have freedom now! We will not be slaves to books, or principles, or deadly school lunch food! Or…or evil talking milkshakes!"

"Talking…milkshakes?" Sora raised an eyebrow, still being jerked around by the over-hyper girl.

"Yes, silly!" She shook Sora roughly. "Don't you remember that strawberry milkshake Tidus got once? It turned evil and threatened to kill me!" She gasped. "You don't remember, do you?"

Sora just ignored the girl's crazy antics. "Uhh…Selphie, have you snuck into the sugar cabinet in Naminé's house again?" Sora reluctantly asked, already knowing the answer coming.

"Sure did!" She beamed." Hey, I brought some rock candy for you!" She handed Sora about four or five sticks.

Sora slowly took the sticks from her hand. "Uhh…Selph, these have already been eaten to the core…"

"Oh, right." She frowned. "I already ate them." Her smile returned. "Oh well, let's just go get some more!"

Sora tried to stand his ground, but finally gave up as he felt himself being dragged away by the sugar-high girl. Sora felt as if he were saved when a blitzball whizzed by his head. He looked up in hope, glad to see the rest of his friends standing there.

"Yo, Selphie, why you trying to kill Sora, ya?" the redhead, known as Wakka, asked.

"I was not!" Selphie pouted defensively.

"Really?" another redhead questioned.

"Really, Axel! I was just taking Sora to go get some sugar." Selphie huffed, crossing her arms.

"Selphie," a blonde girl's hand reached out to touch Selphie's shoulder, "have you snuck into my sugar cabinet again?"

"…"

"_Selphie_, tell me."

"Yes, I did, Nami." Selphie got this puppy dog look on her face as she continued, getting down on her knees and clasping her hands together. "But it's the first day of summer break! I needed sugar." She sniffled.

As soon as Selphie looked sad, she jerked her head around when she heard a certain blond mutter something. She shot up instantly. "TIDUS ISHIDA, YOU TAKE THAT BACK THIS INSTANT!"

Tidus stuck his tongue out while saying, "Nuh-uh."

Selphie fumed. "Uh-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

The four watched the two continue in silence, that is, until, Wakka decided to break it. "How long they gonna do that, ya?" he whispered in Sora's ears, not wanting to disturb the fuming teenagers.

"Until Tidus gives in," Sora whispered back. "Also known as hours, days, weeks, months, even years."

"I know how to get Selphie to stop," Axel decided to give his two cents.

"How?" Sora tried to stay as quiet and calm as possible, also trying to forget who Roxas had been out late with last night.

"Give Selphie candy," he whispered so quietly, Sora would not have heard if he had not been listening intently.

"WHAT?" Sora screeched, immediately realizing his mistake, he quickly covered his mouth with his hands.

Selphie's Death Glare of Doom™ **(1)** was immediately directed at Sora instead of Tidus. "What. Was.**That**." Selphie's emerald eyes were nearly black with anger; Sora couldn't help but whimper.

"Iwassayingweshouldgogetsomesugar," Sora hurriedly answered. Most humans wouldn't have been able to understand Sora, but Selphie could. Sora covered his head with his hands, as if to shield himself—only to glomped by a very happy brunette.

"Great idea, Sora-wora!" Selphie squeezed Sora 'till he could barely breath. "Well, what are you all waiting for?" Selphie cocked her head to the side, as she stood up from Sora. (She had knocked him down, because she hugged him so hard.) "Let's go get some can-DAY!"

* * *

Sora made a mental note to himself as soon as they exited the candy store: Never. Give. Selphie. Candy.

_**Ever**_.

Well...

Only use candy in emergencies… Like the time Selphie held a gun on Sora and Axel...

Sora shook his head at the memory. When Selphie is deprived of a certain amount of sugar, things can get pretty ugly. Once she had gone so far as to tie up Sora, Tidus and Axel until they gave her or told her where some sugar was. That was the day she found out about Namine's sugar cabinet…

To this day everyone blamed Sora for letting it slip out.

All of Sora's friends were heading off to the movies, Selphie excited because there was more candy there as well. But Sora decided to pass; he wanted to go for a walk.

He didn't know why he wanted to walk anyway, usually he wouldn't ever pass up a chance for the movies, especially since it was Naminé's treat for the first day of summer break. But Sora felt like he just needed to take a walk—to clear his mind.

So that's what he was doing now; arms crossed behind his head as the summer breeze blew by Sora, ruffling his hair slightly. Sora took a deep breath as he walked by some benches in the park. He saw kids playing on seesaws, swings, slides and monkey bars. All of them laughing and enjoying themselves the entire time…except for one kid, Sora noticed.

She was sitting cross-legged in a corner all alone; not a person with her. Her long blonde hair hanging wildly in several directions, some of the blonde locks in small braids. The braids looked rather messy, it looked like she had done them herself. Sora chuckled slightly. Sora couldn't help but notice the brilliant shade of emerald eyes she had.

Sora walked over to her slowly, being careful not to scare her, although, she didn't look scared, mad or sad. She looked as if she were lost in deep thought. _Eight-year olds have deep thoughts?_ he thought. Well, she _looked_ eight, anyway, he wasn't quite sure, though.

The girl realized Sora was heading towards her and tensed slightly, but looked up from the ground. Instead of running away, she started staring at Sora. Sora didn't like being stared at with those curious emerald eyes. It made him feel under pressure.

"What's the matter?" Sora asked quietly, as he crouched down next to the girl, sitting cross-legged like her as well.

"No one wants to play with me," she replied, but didn't sound sad or upset about it.

"Really?" Sora cocked his head to the side cutely. Sora didn't even realize he did it all the time. It was just something he did naturally. "Well, do you want to play with me?"

"Sure!" The girl sprung off of the ground and hugged Sora. "But hey, what's your name?" she asked Sora while dragging him to the seesaws.

"Sora."

"Mine's Rikku!" she chirped happily as she sat down on one of the seesaws.

"Riku?" Sora repeated quietly as he sat on the other end of the seesaw.

"Yep!" she confirmed happily as she tried to push the seesaw down. Sora wasn't budging and she got rather frustrated. She then realized Sora had this heartbreaking expression on his face. He looked like he wanted to cry…

"What's the matter?" Rikku inquired.

"Oh, nothing." Sora gave her a sad smile as he pushed off the ground to begin moving the seesaw.

"Tell me!" Rikku persisted in a put out tone. "What is it?" Then her voice turned extremely gentle. Sora had to tell her…

"Well, your name's Riku right?" Sora pushed again against the ground to make the seesaw go faster.

"Duh." Rikku pushed back.

"How do you spell it?" Sora pushed once more and they kept pushing against the ground again and again, growing more speed each time.

"R-I-K-K-U," Rikku answered Sora as if _he_ were the child.

"Well, I used to have this friend—named Riku." Sora smiled despondently. "But he spelled it R-I-K-U." Sora added in Rikku's behavior. "Anyway, I had known Riku for as long as I could remember. Probably since we wore diapers." Sora laughed slightly, but it wasn't really a joyful one. "We were best friends. We did _everything_ together. And even though we were friends, we were always competing against each other. Like, we'd race each other to our houses and other stuff too…but he would always win.

"Some time during the whole mess, I got a crush on Riku. I don't know how it happened, but it did. It was getting really bad—my crush. Whenever I was around Riku, I felt funny, and he noticed. He could tell I was acting different. But I did nothing about it. I never told him how I felt. I was worried he didn't feel the same way about me. Which, he probably didn't. We were only kids, after all. And why would a good-looking guy like Riku love a joker like me?

"Well, one night, I decided I would just get it over with. Even if I couldn't his friend anymore, I had to tell him. I couldn't keep going every day feeling that way about him, and not knowing how he felt about me. So, we were heading home one night, and I was just going to tell Riku when he suggested we race to my house. I told you, we were ALWAYS competing against each other. I didn't want Riku to think I was a coward, plus I thought I could tell him when we got home, so I took the challenge even though it was raining horribly, and it was pitch dark.

"Well, we were running so fast and…" Sora tried to hold back tears as he sniffled, "…and it was so dark and pouring we couldn't see and…" the tears Sora was trying to hold back rolled down his cheeks silently as he continued, ""…a-and-and Riku didn't see the car heading straight for him. I yelled out to him, but he didn't hear me… Riku died not long after. The medics said he never even had a chance. Riku died before I got to tell him how I felt. Even though Riku probably didn't like me that way, I couldn't help feeling that there was a slight chance that he did. I've always regretted it, to this day. And I have never felt the way that I felt for Riku about anyone else. Not a single one... "

"That's so sad!" the little girl, Rikku, sobbed.

"Oh, please, don't cry." Sora wiped away his own tears and attempted to smile, to try and make the girl happy. Sora hadn't even realized that they had stopped going up and down on the seesaw. He supposed he just wasn't really paying attention to it.

"I'm sure Riku liked you—like you liked him," she said, wiping away the remains of her tears.

"Thank you." Sora smiled. That certainly made him feel better. Sora pushed against the ground to make the seesaw move once more. Sora thought it would just be best if he changed the subject. "So, Rikku, how old are you, anyway?"

"Six!" she exclaimed. "Well, I'm almost seven, I'm six and a 1/2, ya know."

"Really? Geez, I thought you were eight."

"You did?" Rikku started laughing. And soon, Sora found that he himself was laughing as well. "How old are you, Sora?"

"16. Ten years older than you, Rikku." Sora laughed more as Rikku looked horrified.

"I didn't think you were sixteen!" She gasped.

"Really?" Sora raised an eyebrow. "Then how old do you think I look?"

"14, 15 tops." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Really?" Sora still had an eyebrow raised.

"Yes, really!" She pouted.

"Okay then." Sora jumped down off the seesaws and started to tickle Rikku. She rolled over onto the ground, giggling wildly.

Sora found he liked this girl. She was sweet and kind, but still mature for her age. She was just happy enough, not overly so like Selphie.

* * *

Sometime later, Sora found himself walking again. He was walking down the sidewalk thinking. Just...thinking.

Even though he had a great time with Rikku, it had still brought up old memories for Sora; memories that he would never, ever forget; memories that hurt his soul deeply; memories that had scarred his heart for life.

Sometimes Sora wished he had never met Riku, but then he would immediately dismiss that thought. Even if everything with Riku had ended bitterly, he wouldn't trade the wonderful memories he shared with Riku for the world. All the happy memories they shared were incredible—fascinating, the best damn time of Sora's life.

Sora loved his life now, he had his mom; his brothers: Cloud (who was attending college in a different town) and Roxas; his friends: Axel, Naminé, Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka; and now he seemed to possibly have a new friend, this little girl, Rikku. She was sweet, Sora was sure of that.

But still, Sora couldn't help but feel like something was missing in his life. He felt empty inside. And Sora hated how he didn't know how Riku felt about him, but, now thinking about it, maybe it was better that he didn't know. If Riku had died and Sora knew Riku loved him back, Sora would have been twice as crushed.

But then again, wouldn't it have been better if Riku and him had had a short-lived relationship rather than none at all? Sora couldn't entirely decide, really.

But then another question popped up in Sora's head. Why did people always expect him to be happy all the time? Why couldn't he ever be sad for once? He supposed it was just because of the type of person Sora was. Sora was a usually cheerful person, so people always expected him to be happy. **(2)**

So whenever Sora _did_ feel sad, depressed or lonely, he would just keep it bottled up inside. Locked away in his heart, never to be set free. Sora would always feel worse how he never told someone. But maybe perhaps why he felt slightly better now was because he had finally told someone his sorrows: Rikku.

Sora kept on walking. Today really was a beautiful day, if not a little chilly. For some reason today was colder than usual, and Sora's mother insisted he always wear his special scarf whenever it was cold, even if he were wearing short sleeves, if there was ever wind, Sora would need his special scarf.

Sora's scarf started out with a royal blue, fading into a light blue, and finally white at the tips. It was extremely soft, and anyone could tell every stitch was made with love. But what was so special about Sora's scarf, you ask? Riku gave it to him; _that_ is what made it so special.

Riku had given it to Sora for his 10th birthday; Sora loved it immediately. He swore to Riku whenever he were cold he'd wear it, and that's what Sora was doing. That brought up the subject of Riku again, Sora sighed as the wind blew his scarf wildly in the wind.

Then Sora looked up at the sky. "Where are you Riku?" Sora asked, almost in a pleading way.

Sora kept on walking when he then heard something. It sounded like quiet feet behind him. Sora suddenly whipped around to find…

…absolutely nothing.

Sora started walking again; it was probably all in his imagination.

_Creek!_

That was **definitely** not his imagination. Sora looked around again, to still find nothing. Sora's pace quickened as he made a turn down the street, but the feet only seemed to get louder. Sora turned around again and stopped in his tracks. "I know you're there! Show yourself!"

Slowly, a black shadow emerged from behind a building. Sora started to tremble. When did it get so dark outside? Sora did not remember; he was too lost in his thoughts. The shadow was getting closer, Sora thought it looked like a female, but he could not quite tell.

Of what Sora could tell, the figure had long hair, about shoulder length, and looked to be wearing a dress. Who was this person?

"Hey, Sora!" she greeted happily. Oh, no way…that voice could only belong to one person…

_Fuck!_ he thought.

"Hello…Kairi." Sora gave her a short smile. The girl was crazy. Everyone knew it. Why she never got put in an insane asylum, Sora would never know.

"So, why haven't I been hearing from my boyfriend lately, huh?" Kairi locked arms with Sora as she started to skip down the path with him.

"I've been sort of busy, Kairi," Sora answered with a grimace. He hated lying to her, but if you got her angry, things could get pretty ugly.

"Too busy…for your girlfriend?" Kairi questioned sadly.

Sora almost felt sorry for the girl. But he knew she was an evil, crazy bitch deep down inside. So it didn't bother his heart too much. But, I mean, out of all the guys she could have picked to think they was her boyfriend, out of ALL the guys, she had to pick him! Why him?

What was so special about Sora anyway? (**Sora**: Hey! **Skaterstar57:** -Tosses cookie- **Sora:** -Leaps after cookie- My precious!)

_Anyway_, why would she pick Sora? Maybe for the fact that they _used_ to be friends, before she became an all bitchy and crazy sluttish whore! Hmm, you might think that, wouldn't you?

Sora knew the clock was slowly ticking, and he was running out of time, but before he could even give it a second thought, Kairi smashed her mouth against Sora's.

_AHH! Whore-Germs! Eww! Gross!_ Sora's mind was screaming for him to stop, but it was kind of hard when a crazy redhead had their tongue jammed down your throat. Sora wanted to literally throw up, but he couldn't do that to Kairi during a kiss… Eww.

Sora's body finally seemed able to function once again, immediately pulling away from Kairi, wiping his mouth in disgust. "Get off of me, Kairi! I'm not your boyfriend!" Sora's voice slipped out before he could control himself. Immediately realizing his mistake, he gasped, covering his hands over his mouth, before he fled, as fast as his legs could carry him.

He didn't know where he was running to, or how long he could keep the pace, but he had to go somewhere, _anywhere_ to get away from the crazy lady who liked to stick her tongue down people's throats.

Sora had noticed for the past few days that he felt like he was being followed, he figured he was just being paranoid. But finally, this proved his assumptions were real. So he wasn't crazy after all.

Back in the street there was a very pissed off redhead. Her hands were clenched into fists, her legs as straight as possible and glued together. Her lips drawn into a thin line, and her violet eyes fixing a death glare in the direction Sora had fled.

"I'll get you yet, Sora James Hikari," she spat as she stomped off in the opposite direction.

Sora's mind was only concentrating on one thing right now: Run.

Sora was running as fast he could, but he knew he couldn't keep the pace up much longer. Looking over his shoulder, it looked like he had lost her. Maybe everything would be all right. So Sora decided he could slow down a bit, he was walking when he realized where he was. It wasn't that far from home, but it would take a while if he walked.

Sora started to whistle as he walked on, when he suddenly heard something, it sounded like someone was after him again. Oh no, not that blasted redhead again! Sora looked over his shoulder to find nothing. He decided to quicken his pace as he looked over his shoulder again, still nothing.

Sora's fast walking changed into a run when he heard the feet start to run. His run quickly changed into a sprint as he felt the cool wind slam into his face. He pumped his arms back and forth as his legs dashed across the street. He had to get home, he just had to!

"Leave me alone, Kairi!" he called out over his shoulder.

Suddenly, Sora heard the sprinting behind him stop. And he couldn't help but stop as well. He looked over at the figure, but it was too dark to see details. But it was definitely a man, not a woman. Even though the figure had long hair, Sora could just tell.

The figure spoke quietly, almost not even audible. The voice also sounded so… Sora couldn't even put his finger on it. "I'm not Kairi…" the figure said, and then vanished. Sora thought he had heard that voice before… Nah, he must just be losing it. "But I will get you." Sora almost screamed right there. The voice had spoken again, and had threatened that he would get him.

Sora fell down to the ground, in distress. He didn't care about going home. That guy could be a kidnapper, rapist, murderer…or all three. Sora didn't know what to do, what could he do? Tears poured forth from the clouds. Almost sharing his misery.

Sora didn't even know how long he had sat there, but he just could not move. He felt like he was glued to the ground, and his body was paralyzed. Sora couldn't see anything around him, for he had his legs pulled up to his chest, his arms crossed over his knees, and his face buried in them.

And Sora knew he was getting soaked, and most likely would get horribly sick for staying out in the rain, but he just couldn't move, he couldn't. And then suddenly, even though Sora couldn't see, he felt bright lights on him, and the sound of a car stopping.

Oh no! The man was back, wasn't he! Probably with the rest of his friends to come and torture him. This was the end; Sora knew it.

"Sora?"

_Wait!_ That voice could only belong to one person!

Sora's head picked up slightly, but he still didn't open his eyes. The rain was pouring down on him and the thunder roared, and the lightning clashed.

"Cloud?" Sora's voice cracked as he tried to speak.

"Sora!" Cloud ran over to his younger brother's side, clutching him in his arms. Sora smelted into Cloud's embrace, wrapping his arms around Cloud so tightly, some would think Sora would crush his brother, but Cloud only gripped back even harder.

"Cloud…don't ever leave me," Sora cried into Cloud's shirt.

"I promise…I won't." Cloud ran his hand through Sora's hair gingerly.

Leon watched the whole scene from the side of the car. What could have possibly happened? He and Cloud had decided to come spend summer with their family (well, Leon didn't really have a family, but Sonja counted Leon as family, so it was sort of his family, too) here on Destiny Islands, and they were just heading to Sonja's house when they noticed a huddle on the ground.

It was so dark and pouring that the two couldn't see what it was clearly, but when they got closer Cloud realized it was a person, and it was only one person he could see. It was _Sora_. Leon nearly got a heart attack when Cloud jumped out of the still moving car, not caring if he got hurt, (which, he did) and ran over to Sora's side.

And Now Cloud was clutching his younger brother, and Leon didn't even know why. Why was Sora out here in such horrible weather? Why was he down on the ground and not even moving? Why was he out this late in the first place?

And what would Sonja think about all this?

* * *

Sora sipped the hot chocolate thankfully as Cloud sat down next to him. Sonja wasn't home, she had left a note saying she and her friends were going on a road trip, and since Cloud and Leon were coming today, everything would be fine. Roxas wasn't home either. Cloud didn't even want to know what that boy was doing this late at night.

Sora was now out of all his soaking wet clothes, a fuzzy and warm blanket wrapped around his small form as he sipped his hot chocolate, sitting on a bar stool in the kitchen. Cloud was now sitting right beside him. Sora smiled as he sipped his hot chocolate…with mini marshmallows. Cloud remembered how he always made what he called, Cloud's Super Duper Number 1 Special Hot Chocolate™ **(3)**, for Sora.

But Cloud was anything but happy looking. His face was etched with worry and fright. And Sora was just wondering when Cloud would decide to speak. Leon was gone, (he was carrying in the luggage from the car) so that just left the two brothers, sitting there side by side in silence.

Until…

"Sora, what happened?"

…Cloud decided to finally break it.

Sora gulped. How exactly would he explain it…

"Well…Kairi was stalking me…_again_, when she kissed me, and believe me, it was disgusting. I ran as fast as I could do get away from her, when I thought I was far enough away, I stopped running. Then I heard footsteps again, I turned around, and no one was there, but I still heard the footsteps. Eventually, a shadow emerged, I thought it was Kairi, but it wasn't. It was a man, and I had no idea, whatsoever, who the hell he was.

"I yelled out to him, '_Leave me alone, Kairi!_' The man moved closer to me, and that's when I realized he wasn't Kairi. He said to me, '_I'm not Kairi,_' and for some strange reason, I thought I had heard that voice before. He was suddenly gone, but his voice spoke once more. '_But I will get you._' he said that, and then, he was completely gone." Sora shivered. "It was really scary, Cloud." Sora hugged Cloud yet again.

"Shh. Everything's all right now. No need to worry, Sora." Cloud whispered sweet, comforting words in Sora's ears as he ran a hand through the brunet's spiky hair. But Cloud was anything but sure that everything was fine. Who was this person? What was his business with his brother? But more importantly…why did he say he would get him?

Questions were swimming in Cloud's brain. What...what was happening?

The two brothers held onto one another as someone waited on a rooftop outside. He jumped off and looked through the window into the kitchen, neither one of them noticing. "I will…see you again…Sora," the boy spoke quietly before he disappeared.

The shadow walked a lonely road as he peered up at the moon. His form got a silvery glow from the moonlight falling on him. The figure walked across the beach, the shore washing over his feet gently. The sound of the waves and the wind together, making a sweet melody.

But the figure did not stop. He continued to walk, until Sora's house was completely out of sight. Little did the figure know, that a single white feather was left outside of Sora's house. Staying there, as if it were meant to, even though the wind was blowing against it, the feather would not move.

Everything seemed soundless, for a single moment. The waves ceased to make sound, as well as the wind. The clouds moved away completely from the moon, and let the moonlight fall on the feather, giving it a slight glow. The figure was completely out of sight now, no one was there, absolutely no one, but…there were still the sounds of soft footfalls, along the sand on the beach. And you could still hear the soft singing of a sweet and quiet voice…

But _no one_ was there.

* * *

**1** – Selphie's Death Glare of Doom™ My family and I have this thing where we say the other has a death glare of doom. Hah. It's become a usual thing, now. And I thought Selphie would be perfect to have a death glare of doom. XD

**2** - Hmm. I think when I wrote this, I was slightly depressed, and I was feeling that way. Normally I am a very cheerful, happy and (usually) hyper person. So no one expects me to ever be sad. So I often I keep it bottled up inside. But right now, I am brimming with hyper-ness. -Does a little happy dance-

**Sora:** I think she's finally flipped her lid...

**3** - Cloud's Super Duper Number 1 Special Hot Chocolate™... -Rubs back of head- Uhh…this was just sort of a fun/funny name I thought up.

Okay! Now that that's out of the way, I have to say I hope you enjoyed it.

**-Edit Note-: **Heh. I changed a few things this chapter. I removed all the crying (for it was so lame, and was not needed) and fixed a lot of mistakes. I'm gonna have the second chapter edited soon.

**Next chapter:** Sora finds out who's stalking him, Cloud makes his Yummy Triple Chocolate Chip Surprise Pancakes™, and two old friends of Cloud's show up.

**Review**, and the next chapter will be posted sooner! Until then, arrivederci!


	2. Please Don't Leave Me

Whoa, I'm actually updating. I didn't think I'd be able to update this for a while, so I'm quite glad. Replies to my three lovely reviewers!

**hkph:** YAY, my first reviewer! -Does a little crazy happy dance- I love you for all the lovely compliments. When I saw your review before I went to bed after I posted this, I grinned for the rest of the entire night. And sang, too. I feel bad for my family. -Gives cookie-

**dirtyd488:** -Bows and gives cookie- Thank you. I know, I wanted this to be a comedy, but it just won't stay that way. Bad fic! Bad! -Gasps- I am ashamed of myself! -Faints- Haha. Thank you again.

**Madame Night:** Thank you. -Hugs and gives cookie- Hehe. I loved writing the beginning the most. ) Sonja actually...is based on me quite a bit. I know...scary. Thank you again

Whoa, you people are too kind. Really.

**Summary:** Sora Hikari is a normal 16-year-old trying to survive through school, friends, crazed ex-girlfriends (or they _think_ they were his girlfriend) and stalkers, or at least he thinks he is normal.

**Disclaimer:** Whoa, this again. Let's see. I don't own Kingdom Hearts. It's as simple as that. -Sobs- But I wish I did. T-T

**Warning:** This fic will contain **yaoi** (boyxboy love). If you do not care for boyxboy love, I suggest you leave. This fic will also contain **language.**

**Reviews:** Well, I am already so grateful for all the reviews I already got. But, I would be even so much happier if I got more. Let's see...I will give you...ice skates if you review! (**Riku:** Who the hell wants some stinkin' ice skates! **Skaterstar57:** -Death glare- Stinkin'..ICE SKATES? -Sighs- Fine. Not everyone likes ice skating as much as I do... I will give...mini chocolate cakes! (I can't think of anything!)

**-Edit Note-: **Yay! I'm editing the second chappy now. I think I will change quite a few thins in this chapter—if I remember it correctly, anyway.

**A/N:** Okay, I just wanted to make a note here. I do not hate Kairi. Of course she gets in the way of Riku and Sora, but I don't hate her. I just REALLY wanted to make her crazy. ) I''s fun. Anyway, on to the next chapter!

* * *

I'll Be There for You - Chapter 2. Please Don't Leave Me

-o-

"_If you love somebody, let them go. If they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were."_ – **Unkown**

* * *

Every day, Sora Hikari normally took forever to wake up, but if he smelled the sweet aromal of food, he shot up like a light. After taking a literally one minute bath, throwing some clothes on and brushing his teeth as quickly as possible, Sora ran down the stairs yelling, "Food!" 

Sora reached the kitchen and saw Cloud standing over the stove, a pink frilly apron tied around his waist. "Hold it, tiger, the pancakes aren't done yet." He grinned as he flipped another of his "special" pancakes.

"Pancakes!" Sora exclaimed. "You mean…you mean…"

"That's right." Cloud turned slightly so Sora could see his smile. "Cloud's Yummy Triple Chocolate Chip Surprise Pancakes™."

"Woohoo!" Sora pumped his fists in the air as he did a little happy dance. Cloud couldn't help but grin. Maybe…Sora wasn't thinking about yesterday.

"OWW!"

That was for certain when Cloud had to whack Sora's hand away with his spatula so he wouldn't sneak a taste.

"You're mean." Sora pouted, rubbing his hand.

"Yeah, but you love me." Cloud set a plate of his special pancakes in front of Sora.

Cloud watched, amused, as Sora stuffed the pancakes in his mouth and grabbed for more. "Geez, Sora, you haven't changed one bit."

"Welmph, dohm myou exmect memph foo?" (AKA: Well, do you except me to?)

"Sora, I can't understand a word you're saying," Cloud pointed out.

"Never mind. Where's Leon?" Sora asked after swallowing the pancakes.

"Oh…he's out," Cloud replied.

Sora groaned. "Did you two have a fight…_again_?" Sora rolled his eyes.

"So what if we did?" Cloud put his hands on his hips.

"Don't do that. It's scary." Sora started to drink his glass of orange juice.

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Anyway, yes, in fact, we did have a fight, but it is none of your business."

"No fair!"

"Tough luck." Cloud stuck out his tongue at Sora.

Then Sora suddenly asked a question Cloud did not want to ever hear.

"Cloud, can I go out now?"

Cloud stood there, leaning against the stove, unmoving and silent. He didn't really know what to do. He actually honestly felt like screaming: "There is no way you're going out! I will keep you in this house until you're 87 years old!" Well, he wasn't _actually_ going to say that—but he wanted to. Anyway, as of now, he was in charge of Sora. And Sora had gotten threatened yesterday. What could he possibly do?

Keep Sora here, insisting he couldn't go out, or let him go, and just risk the consequences?

"Cloud?" Sora waved his hands in front of his brother's face.

"Yeah?" he replied, still in a daze from thinking.

"So, can I go or what?"

Cloud sighed. Sora seemed fine. And if he were fine about going out, after what happened, it was okay with him. Anyway, that guy was just probably drunk and would never see Sora again. Yes. It was going to be fine. That's what Cloud fooled himself into thinking, anyway. "Sure." He shrugged his shoulders as he started to walk away, only to get glomped by Sora.

"Oh! Thank you! Thank you!" Sora kissed Cloud's cheeks before darting out the door.

Cloud sat there amazed, resting his chin on his knuckles. "What will I ever do with that boy?" He smiled before he got up and walked away.

* * *

Sora exited his house, whistling happily. But when he stepped down off the steps, he heard something underneath this foot. "Huh?" Sora cocked his head to the side as he looked at what appeared to be a feather. "Wow," Sora breathed out as he picked it up. It was truly beautiful. Sora wanted to save this, so he quickly tucked it into his pocket before heading on his way again.

"Hey, Sora!"

Sora turned around. That voice could only belong to one person. A certain redheaded person…

"Reno!" Sora cried before being tackled by the redhead. "I'm so glad to see you!" Sora hugged back enthusiastically.

"Yeah, yeah. Back for the summer. Kadaj's here, too" The redhead grinned as he sat up from tackling Sora to the ground.

"Really?" Sora grinned. "Kay-Kay's back!"

"You know…he will kill you if you call him that." Reno smiled as he pushed Sora slightly.

"I know." Sora grinned.

Those two were practically like brothers. For when Sora was little, Reno and Cloud were best friends to the end. Of course, they had to be separated eventually, when the two went to different colleges. But some could say their relationship was nearly as close as Riku and Sora's had been.

* * *

"So…Cloud's back, too? And…oh what's his name…Squall?" Reno asked as propped himself up in the grass on his elbow, lying down on his side.

"Yep…but he prefers _Leon_ now."

"Right. Right." Reno nodded his head. "That man shouldn't change his name all the time… I think I'm just going to start calling him 'Moody'." Sora chuckled at this. Reno grinned. "Well, how have you been, Sora? Kairi bothering you much?"

"Oh, puh-lease don't get me started." Sora rolled his eyes. "Last night she kissed me, and eww, I got whore-germs!" Sora shook his head back and forth, sticking his tongue out in disgust.

Reno laughed. "So...where is Cloud?"

"Back at the house." Sora shrugged his shoulders. "Why don't you go see him?"

"All right." Reno smiled. "I will." He then stood up and looked around. "Uhh…which way is it ag—ahh!"

"REN-REN!" Reno got tackled to the ground, by a ball of brown and yellow. "I MISSED YOU SOOOO MUCH!" The girl beamed as she hugged Reno to death.

"Sora! Save me!" Reno called out.

Sora simply laughed and shook his head. "No way. You gotta help yourself this time." Sora started to head off, but not before grinning and waving goodbye. "Take good care of him, Selphie!" He then started to run off.

"I sure will!" he heard her call out, before Sora was completely out of sight.

* * *

"Whew," Sora breathed out as he hunched over. Geez, did he just take a whole jog around the Island? He had just started running when he left poor Reno to Selphie, but he didn't mean to run so far…

Sora looked around as he stood up from bending over. Where on earth was he? Sora's eyes widened and he gasped. He was exactly where he was yesterday when that—that...hadow…when…when it—he…

Sora was beginning to panic slightly. Oh gosh…what was he going to do? What if…what if that person was here again…what if…what if…

But Sora looked around himself. It was at least brood daylight. So he could easily see if someone was sneaking up on him. But then again…no one was even here. Sora shrugged his shoulders as he started walking simply. Everything was fine, no one was here, no crazy Kairi…no strange shadow creep. Everything was absolutely wonderful…

_Creek!_

…change that thought.

Sora turned his head around sharply. Who was there? Sora gulped. What if…what if that guy…was back? What could possibly happen to him? He knew he shouldn't have gone out today—Cloud was worried and he knew it, but he didn't care… All he cared about was himself.

Sora started to walk faster, not even realizing he was heading in the exact opposite path of his house. With every step he took, he was getting further and further away from his safety zone.

"Who's there?" Sora called as he turned around. But still…there was nothing.

Sora started to panic. Everything was repeating itself from yesterday. He never should have even gone out today! What was he…supposed to do? He—he was so scared… He was terrified. He wished Riku were here. Riku always protected him. He had felt safe when Riku was still alive…when he was here, by his side. _But Riku wasn't here now_… He never could be here again…**ever**.

Sora started to run, but heard a pair of feet follow him. Sora suddenly halted, hearing the pair of feet do the same.

"Show yourself!" Sora screamed out, closing his eyes. When he opened them, he jolted backwards, resulting in himself falling down to the ground. "Wh-who…who are you?" Sora asked in a very terrified voice.

He was looking at a boy, somewhere in his teens, obviously a year or so older than himself. The person had slightly tanned skin and aquamarine eyes. He also had long silver hair, barely down past his shoulders and hanging in his face slightly. Sora was terrified, only one other person that he ever knew of had eyes and hair like that…his precious Riku.

But it was impossible. Riku was dead. No use trying to relive the past. It was better if Sora would just let go…

"Sora, don't you remember?" the silver-haired stranger asked as he walked closer to Sora, to try and help him get up. But Sora simply smacked the hand away. He backed away further from the stranger, wishing he had really stayed home with Cloud today… But the stranger only moved closer to Sora again.

"What the hell are you talking about?! I've never met you before in my life!" Sora shouted as he tried to scoot away from this stranger.

"Have you really forgotten…" the stranger smiled sadly as he stared straight into Sora's eyes, "…my Sunshine."

Sora's eyes widened to an incredible size as he gasped. No! No! NO! There was no way! This couldn't be…this couldn't be… It was impossible… Simply impossible. The dead could not walk the Earth. Sora knew it was impossible. Ghosts did not exist.

"R…Riku?" Sora hesitantly said.

"Of course," he replied with a small smile as he neared Sora.

Sora backed away in haste. This…this was impossible! "NO!" Sora screamed. "It can't be! You're dead! And besides…you're too old to be Riku…he died five years ago! If you were Riku…y-you'd../you'd be twelve years old! Fucking twelve years old!"

"Heh." The stranger, who claimed to be Sora's dead best friend, Riku, stared down at the ground, a smile on his face. But it was not a happy smile in the slightest. It was full of sorrow—and regret. He then looked up at Sora again. "You know, Sora, even angels age."

"Wha-what?" Sora gulped. Did…did he just say angels?

"You need proof that I'm really Riku Sugisaki?" The silver-haired teen smirked. "Ask me any question, and I'll answer it. But it has to be something only Riku would know."

"O-okay." Sora pondered for a moment. Aha! "What does my mother call me to wake me up?"

"Pssh. That's easy." The silver-haired teen rolled his eyes. "She's done it for years. She always calls you, Sora Victor James Wellington Hikari the III." Riku smirked as Sora's eyes widened.

"And…what birthday present did Riku make me for my 10th birthday?"

"Your special scarf," Riku answered. "The one that starts with royal blue at the top, then fades into a light blue, and eventually, at the tips, turns white. It took me forever to make that, you know." Riku smiled. And that was a true smile, Sora could tell. The smile that Riku only ever saved for him.

"R-Riku? Riku! Is it really you?" The tears that had welled up in his eyes fell down one at a time. "RIKU!" Sora ran into the silver-haired boy's arms and tackled him to the ground. It felt…like a magnificent dream. This could not be reality. It was too…wonderful. "Riku! Riku! RIKU!" Sora hugged him as if his own life depended on it. And, he actually started sobbing. Riku's mouth was left hanging open slightly and his eyes wide. What was he supposed to do now? Sora was crying…

"Shh. Don't cry, Sora. You know I hate that." Riku smiled softly as he ran a hand back and forth through the brunet's spiky hair. "But…if you ever need me, I will be your shoulder to cry on."

"Riku! I never thought I would see you again! I-I…missed you so much." Sora sobbed more, but tried to rid away the tears. He sniffled. "But…but how are you here?"

"Well…" Riku rubbed the back of his head. How exactly should he put this? "I guess I should start from the beginning, huh? After I died…" Riku felt Sora wince. He quickly changed his wording. "I mean…when I went to Heaven, I became an angel. Sora, it's rather surprising, really. Did you know that all angels…were people that died when they were kids on Earth?"

Sora shook his head, before Riku simply continued.

"Anyway, back to my point. Even though I was up in Heaven, and everyone was supposed to be happy, because it was a place where no sadness existed. It was impossible for me, for I was without you. Every day when I lived in Heaven, I would cry. Every night before I would fall asleep, I would cry, until my body could not take it anymore, and I would drift off. The other angels all sensed my sadness, and it made them sad as well. So one day, the leader of the angels came to me and gave me an offer. I could return to Earth…and be human again, if I could complete some sort of mission."

"What mission?" Sora asked curiously.

"Well, see, the thing is, he wouldn't tell me. The mission is supposed to be private, and if I can complete it while I am on Earth, without even knowing it, I will be human again. But I only have a short amount of time." Riku frowned.

"How long?" Sora asked sadly.

"Well…he wouldn't tell me that either." Riku rubbed the back of his head.

Sora fell backwards and hit the concrete. "Sora? You all right?"

"Fine." Sora rubbed the back of his head as he sat up, and propped himself up in Riku's lap. Riku wrapped his arms around Sora's waist as he pulled the brunet closer to himself.

"So…how have you been?" Riku suddenly asked. He then laughed. It had been five years; but it already felt like old times. It just…clicked.

Sora furrowed his brows. "You want to know?" Riku nodded his head. "You _really_ wanna know?" Riku nodded once more. "**Absolutely sure?**" Riku rolled his eyes, but still nodded. "All right then, I'll tell you. Since you left, Kairi turned insane. She thinks she's my girlfriend and tries to kiss me, and she did so last night, _with_ her tongue, I might add." Sora grimaced as he stuck out his tongue.

"I ran away, after being infested with whore germs. Once she was finally gone, there was some creep behind me, following me, telling me he would 'get me'. But now I'm safe, so I'm not worried. I'm with you now. You're my safety zone, Riku. You're always there for me." Sora beamed as he looked up to Riku, to see him frowning. Sora furrowed his brows together in confusion. "Riku?"

"I know who was following you last night."

Sora's eyes widened. "W-who?" Sora gulped.

"Me." Riku winced as he waited to be hit.

But all he heard was silence.

He waited like that for several minutes, waiting for Sora to say something, and then he finally did.

"WHY YOU!" Sora whacked Riku on the head. "WHY WERE YOU FOLLOWING ME, YOU CREEP?!"

"Ow! Oww! Geez, Sora, take it easy!" Riku put his arms above his head, as if to protect himself from Sora's surprisingly strong blows. "Geez, you're stronger since I last saw you." Riku smiled, while his head was still being bashed in.

"Well, what'dya expect? Me to become weaker than you?" Sora grinned. "Like _that_ could ever happen! I've _ALWAYS_ been the stronger one of the both us! Bwahahaha!"

"Oh, Sora. You're still on about that?" Riku rolled his eyes. "There is _**no**_ way you could ever be stronger than me," said Riku as he grinned cockily.

"What, you wanna duel again?"

"Why not?" Riku smirked. "You'll just lose…like always."

"That's it! I will not lose!" Sora pumped his first in the air determinedly. "I will show you, I will win this time! I swear on my mother's grave!" (**Sora:** Hamster!) _Ahem._ "I swear on my hamster's grave!"

* * *

"I can't believe I lost," Sora groaned as the two began to walk away from their dueling ground.

"I told you, Sora. It's impossible for me to lose." Riku smiled at Sora.

"Nu-uh. I tell you, one of these days, I will beat you." Sora grinned.

Some would think this was very odd behavior for two life-long friends who had just been reunited. In fact, it wasn't—in the slightest. These two had such a strong bond, that if they saw each other after being separated for a long time, that they would go back to just like how things always were. It was amazing, actually.

Sora now felt like Riku had never left him, it felt like those years of Riku being gone, had just evaporated into thin air. It felt brilliant, honestly. Sora never had felt happier in his life. The two boys were currently tackling one another, like they were still little kids, just loving to play with one another. It was a beautiful friendship, and nothing could take it away, not even death itself could separate these two.

Even if they never got to see each other again, their hearts and souls would always be connected, they had that strong of a bond. But now…Sora was feeling slightly odd. His feelings for Riku…had not changed in the slightest. Whenever he saw him, he felt his heart start to pound out of his chest. He still…loved Riku, and not only as a friend.

Wait…he loved Riku? He had always known he had had a crush on Riku, but he never thought of it as stronger than that, only a crush—a strong crush, but never love. So when did he realize he loved Riku? Maybe…since after all these years, he still felt as strong as he did about Riku before, maybe he even had a feeling that was stronger…

"So…where are you going to live?" Sora suddenly asked as the two walked down the beach, hand in hand. Sora could feel himself blush at the touch. Just when the two were walking, Riku simply slipped his hand in with Sora's. Sora knew this was nothing new; Riku had often done this when they were friends, but it just felt…like it was something more this time. It felt different.

"I was kind of hoping…I could live with you." Riku waited for a response, worried of Sora's answer. "Sora?"

"You know what, Riku?" Sora suddenly said.

"What?" Riku asked curiously. What was Sora on about?

"I missed you," Sora said, an adorable expression on his face that Riku couldn't quite put his finger on. It looked like he was smiling, but also curious, and all too adorable at the same time.

Riku chuckled slightly. "You're so silly, Sora. But I missed you, too."

"But Riku…how can you stay at my house? Wouldn't they wonder how you're here?" Sora cocked his head to the side as the two continued to walk down the beach.

"Err…about that Sora…" Riku rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. "No one else can see me, only you can."

Sora gasped. "Why…why can only I see you?"

"Well…the boss said it had to be that way. I don't know why, really." Riku shrugged his shoulders. "It really is strange—but I'm kind of relieved. I don't want my parents to see me…after all this time."

"Oh…" Sora looked down to the ground, not knowing what to say next. "Uhh…Riku, your parents moved away a long time ago. They couldn't take the pain of living here without you any longer."

"O-oh." Riku's head dropped slightly, and Sora felt his hand begin to slip away.

Sora began to panic. What had he done?! He quickly squeezed Riku's hand. "M-my Mom missed you, too…a lot, you know."

"I know she did," Riku said with a grin. "Who wouldn't miss someone as sexy as me?"

Sora groaned while rolling his eyes. Riku would never be able to get rid of his cockiness. "Oh my gosh, Riku. You're still as cocky as ever."

"I take offense to that, y'know."

"Oh my gosh!" Sora started to laugh. "You're sulking! Just like you always used to!" Sora started to laugh harder.

"I am not," Riku insisted.

"You are, too." But Sora would not give in. Riku was sulking just like he always used to…when they were young.

"I am not!" Riku pushed Sora slightly.

"Yes, you are!" Sora continued to laugh, pushing Riku back slightly harder.

"I am not!"" Riku let go of Sora's hand and pushed the boy out of the way.

"YES, you _**are**_!" Sora pushed back at Riku even harder.

"That's it!" Riku growled before he tackled the boy to the ground. "You've done it now, Sora!" Riku pinned the boy down to the sand, and started to tickle him mercilessly.

"No! Not the tickle monster!" Sora gasped out.

"Of course!" Riku started to join in with Sora's fits of laughter as he continued to tickle the brunet.

"S-stop!" Sora gasped out another laugh.

"Make me! Say I'm the best!" Riku grinned.

"I would never say th-that!" Tears started to fill the brunet's eyes as he continued to be tickled.

"All right then, I'll just keep tickling you," said Riku as he smirked.

"F-fine! Y-you're the b-best!" Sora gasped out.

"Absolutely right." Riku finally got off of the brunet and sat down next to him in the sand, while the Sora took in several deep breaths, trying to regulate his breathing once more. The waves were washing over the sand gently, right behind them, almost touching them. It was actually a surprise; no one was there right now. But that may have been because the sun was starting to set, and no one on Destiny Islands liked to go to the beach once the sun began to set. It was…strange. Perhaps they were vampires or something. Well, that's what Sora thought, anyway.

But then again, Riku and Sora had sailed over to their Island. The one they always played on when they were kids. Sometimes when they were younger, Kairi, Wakka, Tidus, Selphie, Axel, and Naminé would come, too—but mostly it was Riku and Sora's Island, and theirs alone.

And if that weren't enough, they even had a Secret Place on their Island no one had known about, none of their other friends, they only knew of it, no one else. It was their…secret grove. A little place to dwell in; a place for where only they existed, nothing else mattered.

But Sora couldn't bring himself to go to Secret Place after Riku had died, let alone the entire Island. It would just…hurt too much. He had tried once, and he could only stay a little while. It was too much. He just couldn't do it. His…Riku had died, and it had been his fault. He shouldn't have raced with Riku, when it was so dark and rainy, he…he should have known better.

"Hey, Riku," Sora suddenly broke their comfortable silence.

"Hmm?" Riku absentmindedly answered.

"Take this!" Sora suddenly pushed Riku backwards into the waves of the ocean.

"SORA!" Riku screeched as he stood up out of the water, completely soaked. Sora started to giggle. Riku looked so funny when he was pissed off—or wet. It was simply too much when he was both. "I'm gonna get you for that!" Riku threatened as the brunet began to flee.

"You have to catch me first!" Sora called out over his shoulder as he began to run off away from the ocean.

"All right, I will!" Riku ran out of the ocean waves and began to trek after Sora. "Sora! Get back here! It isn't fair when I'm all wet!" Riku growled as he tried to pick up his pace after Sora. Anyone would know it was much harder to do anything when you were wet, especially if your clothes were sagging like Riku's were. "Sora!" Riku grinned as he began to catch up with the brunet.

Sora hadn't even realized that Riku was very close behind him now, he was simply grinning in triumph as he called out. "Catch me if you can!"

"I will!" Riku pounced on Sora and tackled him to the ground. "Aha! Gotcha!" Riku grinned as he pinned Sora to the ground.

"No fair!" Sora pouted underneath Riku. "You're a big bully."

"Oh, I am?" Riku raised a slender eyebrow.

"Yes." Sora…was still pouting.

"Really?" Then Sora suddenly realized how close Riku's face was to his. _Oh. My. Gosh. No…this could no be happening!_ Sora thought in panic. Sora's eyes began to shift back and forth nervously as he felt his face flush. What was he to do? Riku was _WAY_ too close to his face right now; he had to do something.

"Whoa," Riku breathed out as he got off of Sora.

"What?" Sora asked curiously as he turned around to face where Riku was. "Oh." Sora's eyes widened as he realized…they were right in front of Secret Place. "Riku…it's…it's…"

"I know," Riku smiled, "it's Secret Place." Riku slipped his hand in with Sora's once more. Riku couldn't believe it. Their hands fit perfectly, it were as if the two were made for each other—to match the other one perfectly—to be the other one's other half.

"So…" Sora trailed off as he forgot what he was going to say. What COULD he say? Here the two life-long friends were, holding hands, in front of "their" Secret Place—the place that they had made theirs.

"Should we…" Riku started out.

"Go in?" Sora finished the question. It was extremely funny, how the two finished sentences for the other without even really realizing it. They often did this, and people used to call them twins for it.

"Definitely!" Riku grinned as he walked over to the side of the boulder to push out of the way of Secret Place. The two had been so worried when they were younger, that someone would find their Secret Place, that every time they left it, they would place this giant rock in front of it, as if to protect it.

Sora smiled as he watched Riku try to move the boulder, yes, Riku may be strong, but even he needed help for this. "Need a hand?" Sora grinned as he walked over to the Riku. "On three," Sora suddenly decided.

"All right. 1…" Riku started.

"2…" Sora continued, straightening his arms out, so he could push it as hard as possible.

"3!" Riku finished and the two boys pushed with all their might. The boulder moved with ease. As if it needed only the two to move the boulder, and no one else could, even one of the boys alone couldn't make the cut. It needed both of them.

The two friends stood there at the entrance of Secret Place and simply stared. Neither one wanting to enter before the other, but not sure how to go about entering after all these years, of never being here…f it would feel strange.

"How about on three?" Riku smiled over at Sora as he took the boy's hand.

"Okay! 1..."

"2..."

"3!" the two shouted together as they leapt into the cave. The two did not manage to land on their feet, and rolled around several times on their stomachs until they finally hit a side of the cave, and crashed into each other.

"Oww." Sora rubbed his back. "Remind me to never do that again."

Riku laughed and nodded his head as he sat up from the ground of the cave to stand on his own two feet again. "I will." Riku suddenly gasped. "Sora…what is that?" Riku looked up to the ceiling of the cave. Hanging from it were several greenish-blue like pieces of glass, hanging from small strings. And they were all in the shape of…hearts.

"Oh." Sora felt his face heat up. "You know, how when you and I were younger, we used to find those big, gray rocks in the middle of the ocean?"

"Yeah…" Riku rubbed the back of his head. He remembered some freakishly heavy stones they always used to find in the ocean—they were very strange...

"Well, see, they seemed dull and completely useless from their old, gray outside, but inside, if you broke the rock in half, you would find the most beautiful crystal-like green glass in it. I didn't ever really know what it was, but I thought it was beautiful. Well, I had decided, that for your next birthday, which, actually, was practically a year away, I would make something special for you, like you had made me my scarf." Sora shuffled his feet, looking down at the ground, trying to think of what he should say next.

"Well, when I accidentally broke one of the rocks, that was when I saw what was inside, so every time we would come to Secret Place, or the Island, I would secretly sneak one of those huge rocks back home with us, until I finally had enough to make what I was planning. Each day, if I wasn't spending time with you, of course, I would carve the inside of those rocks, until every last green crystal piece I had was in the shape of a heart. It took forever, if I must say. And right before you…got hit by that car…I was nearly finished, your birthday was in a week, after all.

"I was so proud, I only had to finish one last heart, and then it would be finished. But then…you died Riku, and I never got to give it to you. The gift remained unfinished for what seemed like forever, until, one day, I stumbled upon it, and worked all night, not sleeping at all, until that heart was finished. After I finished, I strung all the hearts onto string, and attached them to that wood like…thingamajig, until they would hang off of it. I…was happy that I had finished it, but you still couldn't get the gift I had made you.

"So, then, even though it nearly killed me, I sailed out to the Island, and walked into Secret Place. Even though I felt like I was going to break down, I needed…to give it to you. To a place…where we had once been happy, and where you had once been. I would have never gotten into Secret Place, for the boulder would not budge, but then the wind blew, and blew it just barely enough out of the way, so I could squeeze in. So, I hung it on the ceiling, to where if the sun shined through this cave, it would make everything glow in sea-green." Sora smiled as he finished his little story. "I'm sorry that I couldn't give it to you sooner."

"Oh, Sora." Riku's eyes shined as he pulled the brunet in for a hug. But it wasn't a sweet hug, or a fluffy, happy hug; it was a hug of desperation. As if Riku felt like if he didn't hug Sora now, he truly would die, and go back to Heaven. If he didn't hold Sora in his arms, every thing that was good in this world would vanish—all traces of humanity gone. "Oh, Sora." Riku pulled Sora even closer.

"I love you…" Sora quietly whispered, but Riku was not even able to hear it, it was so soft.

"Don't leave me," Riku whispered as he laid down his head on Sora's shoulder.

"I won't." Sora smiled slightly, as he ran a hand through Riku's soft, silvery hair.

Then Sora suddenly remembered something…

"_Every day when I lived in Heaven, I would cry. Every night before I would fall asleep, I would cry, until my body could not take it any more, and I would drift off."_

Riku had cried every night…in Heaven? Why? Wasn't Heaven supposed to be a beautiful place, where no tears were shed? Why…why did Riku cry?

* * *

After the two boys had calmed down, they had laid down on the floor, Riku holding Sora in his arms, and Sora wrapping his arms around Riku's waist. They had peacefully fallen asleep, and neither of the two had realized how much time had passed, for nothing else besides the two boys seemed to matter right then. Nothing else in the world existed, only them, and them alone.

The sun was just starting to rise, and Riku lazily opened his eyes, before blinking several times. Was it…morning? Riku yawned before shaking his head slightly. Gee, he hadn't slept that well in forever… Well, it was the first night in a long time where he didn't have to _cry_ to fall asleep.

Hmph. Riku stretched lazily before his eyes fully opened and were now used to the bright rays of light beaming into the small cave. When Riku's eyes were fully opened he realized how beautiful the cave was. Every direction you looked in, there were rays of beautiful green light. Then Riku remembered…Sora's gift!

So Sora…had spent nearly an entire year, making a present for him? Sora was obviously the sweetest person in the world; there was no doubt there, and the cutest one at that. Sora would always…be his best friend, no matter what...

Riku had had a little crush on Sora when the two younger before he had died, though. Riku thought nothing of it, and figured it was just something that would pass by… I mean, why would he have feelings like that about his friend? His BEST friend? It didn't make sense. He shouldn't think of Sora that way…but he couldn't help it. Everything about Sora, the way he talked, the way he walked, how he'd so indignantly pout when he didn't get his way. The way…Sora would blush so cutely, so often.

Sora was a truly innocent person, so full on innocence and pureness. Sora was oblivious it seemed, to everything around them. Sora hadn't seemed to notice that Riku had a crush on him at all…he was so out of it. Riku had secretly hoped, for so long, that Sora would like him back, in that way, not in friendship. But what were the two supposed to do…even if they both did have feelings like that for each other? They…were like brothers.

It would simply screw everything up, and Riku only had a short time, even if the boss didn't tell him how long. He knew he didn't have that long left. And he was about to screw up the time he had with Sora, just because of a stupid crush. Because…what really were the chances of Riku getting to stay here…with his Sora? _HIS_ Sora.

His Sora…

Sora was his…

**His** Sora.

Riku smiled. It had a nice ring to it. Riku looked down at the brunet and his smile grew. The brunet was truly an adorable being. His lips were slightly parted, and his beautiful eyes were completely closed, his thick, long eyelashes closing them. His spiky hair fell in his innocent face, and the rays of the sun, and the rays of the green light hit Sora, making the brunet look like an angel.

Then Riku noticed something…something that was kinda white…and kinda…aquamarine-ish—and silver? Riku gasped. Could it…could it be? Riku slowly put his hand in Sora's pocket and pulled out whatever it was. Yes…it most definitely was. It was a feather of Riku's. A feather of his that must have fallen somewhere. But why…did it? Angels' wings were supposed to stay, not a single feather was supposed to fall…unless…did this mean he was getting closer to completing his mission?

Riku felt Sora stir, so he quickly put the feather back in his pocket, before the brunet would fully wake. "Riku…" Sora mumbled slightly, but his eyes were still closed, Sora was still asleep. "Don't…go…" Sora's face grew sad…and then frustrated. He started to toss and turn in his sleep, shaking Riku wildly back and forth. "No! You can't…you can't die. No!"

"Sora!" Riku called, hoping that it would wake Sora.

"Riku..." Sora rubbed at his sleepy eyes, trying to fully wake up. "Riku?" He removed his hand, and now saw Riku. "Riku!" Sora hugged the silver-haired boy, tackling the boy to the ground of the cove. "It wasn't just a dream! You did come back!"

"Hey! Take it easy!" The two were still rolling around the cave, Sora laughing and smiling happily, that Riku was still with him…and everything, truly was wonderful.

Once the two finally halted in their movements…Riku had landed on something. Something hard. "Oww." Riku reached a hand under his back and pulled out what he believed would be a rock…but was…

A Paopu fruit!

Riku's eyes widened as a memory suddenly whacked him in the head.

"_Riku, look! It's a Paopu tree!" The brunet smiled as the two friends halted in their racing, and stopped in front of the tree._

"'_Course it is. I know that." Riku grinned cockily._

"_Don't be cocky, Riku." Sora sighed before his smile returned. "Don'tcha just love Paopus, Riku? I sure do!" Sora grinned as he sat down on the white sand of their island. "They're different from other fruit, y'know? They're all…star-shaped, and...are—are yellow, just like a shining star!"_

_Riku swore he saw Sora's eyes shine when he said that, but then again...when were Sora's eyes __**NOT**__ shinning?_

_An idea suddenly popped up in Riku's head. What if…?_

"_Hey, Sora!" Riku jumped up from the ground and grinned. "Why don't we get a Paopu down?"_

"_Okay!" Sora smiled as he hopped up from the sandy surface. "But Riku…"—Sora looked up at the tall tree hopelessly—"…we can't reach the top to get one." he frowned._

"_Hey! Get on my shoulders," said Riku as he bent down so Sora could climb up on his back._

"_Sure thing!" Sora beamed as he jumped up on Riku's shoulders._

"_Hey! Take it easy!" Riku growled as he slowly stood up, to not knock off Sora. Once Riku was standing to his full height, he started to feel the weight of Sora. Sora began to reach for the lowest fruit, but couldn't quite make it._

_Riku gritted his teethe. "Hurry up! You're heavy!" Riku complained._

"_I'm trying!" Sora barked out. "Just...a little more..." Sora tried to elongate his fingers, but it was impossible. "Give me a push!" he called out._

"_Grr!" Riku gritted his teeth harder as he tried to forget the weight on his shoulders and stood up fully, standing on his tiptoes._

"_Got it!" Sora grinned as he pulled the tree from the fruit…only to come crashing down with Riku. The two rolled in circles as balls on the white sand, until they crashed against a palm tree._

"_Owwie," Sora whined as he rubbed his arm._

"_Don't be such a baby." Riku smirked._

_Oh, Sora knew it was wrong. A ten-year-old…smirking!_

"_Anyway, why'dja want the Paopu?" Sora curiously asked as the two leaned against the giant palm tree._

"_Well…I kind of wanted to share it with you." And Sora could have sworn it…Riku was blushing!_

_Wait…why'd he want to share a Paopu with Sora? The legend goes: "If two people share a Paopu fruit, their destinies become intertwined and they'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what." So why did Riku want to share one with him?_

"_Why?" Sora bluntly asked._

"_Err…we're best friends and all, right?"" Riku shuffled his feet back and forth slightly._

"_Yeah," Sora dumbly responded, not too sure of where Riku was heading with this…_

"_Well, best friends want to be together forever, right?"_

"_Right," Sora responded once more. What was Riku—oh! Right!_

"_Well, then we should share one! To be together forever!" Riku smiled brightly as he broke the Paopu in half and handed one half to Sora._

"_Wait…" Sora stopped Riku from taking a bite of his Paopu half. "We should eat it at the exact same time."_

"_How about..." Riku started._

"_On three! One…" Sora finished for Riku._

"_Two…" Riku continued, bringing the Paopu closer to his mouth._

"_Three!" they shouted together before they both dove into their Paopu halfs…_

"Riku…" Sora had not noticed the Paopu fruit at all. Heh. Riku set it down. Sora probably didn't even remember that they had shared one at all. "Please, just…hold me." Sora's eyes grew heavy once more, as he awaited to be held by Riku.

Riku said nothing; he simply pulled the brunet close to him, to where he was laying in his lap. He shifted around until he finally felt comfortable. Who cared if people were wondering where Sora was? All he cared about right now was Sora. Sora was his right now, even if just for this moment, it felt like…Sora was his.

* * *

Okay. Second chapter done. I actually have the first three written, and I'm writing the fourth right now. So hopefully three will be up pretty soon. I've been really sick with my asthma lately, so I've had to deal with that. I also haven't been able to ice skate as much lately…which sucks. BUT I get to go again on Monday. -Cheers- Okay, here's the preview!

**-Edit Note:- **Heh. I did change quite a few things. Removed a lot of the crying again. It was just too much, ya know? Anyway, this chapter's done now. I plain to have the third updated soon. So only six more to go!

**Next chapter:** Leon and Cloud go shopping, Riku and Sora go rollerskating, and Roxas finally comes home.

Okay, that's it for now. I hope you liked it. And of course, **review**!


	3. Troublesome Brothers & Demented Roller

KYAH! You all make me so happy. Six reviews—and two favorites. Haha. You people rock. XD Let's see...

**Trekiael:** Wow. Your review really made me happy. And here are the answers to your questions. We _do_ get to see Roxas in this chapter. -Cheers- Pssh. Cloud and Leon are a couple...even if they do fight quite a bit. But everything will turn out all right in the end. Yes, I am wondering how things will turn out at Sora's house...especially when Sonja comes back. xD And about the angels...your third guess is right. They stop aging at a certain point. I guess...kind of when they become mature enough.

**dirtyd488:** The answers to your questions are in this chapter. Thank you, and I hope you like it!

**Taymeho:** Aww, thank you. :)

**hkph:** -Says aww for like an hour or two- Your reviews make me so happy. Yeah, I'm really hungry and want Cloud's pancakes right now. XD

**phaz:** Yay, the first person to favorite my story. -Hugs you-

**broken plushie:** Ay, I hope the chapters aren't too long for everyone. T-T When I write them, they don't seem that long for some reason. Hehe. YAY! You didn't like RikuxSora very much...but now you do! -Is very happy- Aww. -Takes her Sora plushie with pride- Thank you again.

**Summary:** Sora Hikari is a normal 16-year-old trying to survive through school, friends, crazed ex-girlfriends (or they _think_ they were his girlfriend) and stalkers, or at least he thinks he is normal.

**Disclaimer:** Let's babble! Okay...the other day I was at my ice rink, and my friend Melin stuck ice down my skating dress! My friends do this all the time. And when I was leaving, my friend Mary and I were arguing about who loves each other more. She won. I don't own Kingdom Hearts. I love to eat lemons with salt on them. '80's music rocks. Bacon tastes good…but is also evil. I am a klutz.

Wow, and that's not even most of my babbling. xD

**Warning:** This fic will contain **yaoi** (boyxboy love). If you do not care for boyxboy love, I suggest you leave. This fic will also contain **language**.

**Reviews:** Again, thanks for all the lovely reviews. Of course, reviews are always much appreciated.

**-Edit Note:- **All right, all right. One of my favorite chapters is this one. And I think there are a lot of mistakes in this chapter. We shall see.

**A/N:** This is my favorite chapter out of all the ones I've written so far. I just really enjoy it. It was a lot of fun to write, and I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

---

I'll Be There for You - Chapter 3. Of Troublesome Brothers and Demented Roller Skates

"_Bacon is funny. I saw it laughing at me once, so I ate it... Am I considered a bad person?_" -- **A friend of mine**

**---**

"Where on earth can he be?" Cloud began to pace back and forth angrily, stomping his feet as he clenched his fists at his sides. "I mean, it was one thing to stay out late at night, skipping lunch, dinner, _AND_ his bedtime, but to not come home at all—argh!"

"Hold it for a second, mother." Reno held up a hand in a halting motion, but Cloud only glared at him. "Come on, you know you're just pissed because you had a fight with Leon."

"I am _**not**_ pissed because of Leon! And not only did Sora not come home…argh! Stupid Roxas." Cloud growled. What if that person had found Sora and gotten him? He could never forgive himself if that happened. Suddenly, the door opened. "Sora! You have some explaini—oh." Cloud looked down at the ground as he realized who had walked through the door. "Hello…_Leon_."

Uh-oh. Leon knew this was bad. Cloud always called him Squall…no matter how many times Leon had corrected him, that his name was Leon now, Cloud would not accept this.

"Hello, Cloud, Reno," he greeted as he set his keys down on a table. "Where's Sora?" he asked as he walked to the kitchen.

"Gone. I don't know where my little brother is!" Cloud threw his arms up in despair. "I am such a horrible brother!" He groaned in frustration.

"No, you're not," Reno objected.

Leon walked back into the living room with his glass of water. "Reno…can we?"

"Sure, sure. I'll get outta your way." Reno grinned as he stood up and walked to the door. "Don't make too much noise now." He winked before he shut the door.

There was a very…awkward silence between the two lovers, neither one wanting to say a word. Leon didn't want to say a word because…well, he usually didn't talk. Anyway, he was worried he'd say something more to offend Cloud. And Cloud didn't want to say anything, because he was too frustrated and was thinking about Sora too much.

---

Sora yawned as his eyes fluttered opened, with the mixture of green light and sunshine lighting up the room. "Riku…" He turned over on his stomach so he could see Riku. There…was nothing there. "Huh?!" Sora shot up. Was it all…just a dream? But why…would he be here then?

"Oh, good, you're awake." Riku walked through Secret Place just at that moment. "We better head back now, your family's probably flippin' out by now, huh?"

"Oh, gosh!" Sora scrambled to his feet. "Cloud's gonna sooo kill me!" He groaned as he ran out of the small cave.

"Hey, Sora! Wait up!" Riku called as he ran after the boy. "Don't go so fast. You know you can't beat me, anyway." he smirked.

"Oh, really?" Sora raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, really. Or…do you want to race on it?" Riku suggested.

Sora's eyes widened...

_Sora's eyes widened as he realized that a car was heading straight toward his best friend, Riku Sugisaki. But Riku…wasn't stopping running at all. He turned around to smile at Sora. "What, you that slow?" He turned to face forwards again, and his eyes suddenly widened._

"_RIKU!" Sora screamed out as the car suddenly hit his friend. The car immediately stopped and Sora ran over to Riku's side. The rain kept pouring, as the thunder boomed and lightning flashed, but Sora didn't care. His…friend was hurt...maybe even dying..._

NO! Riku would not die, Riku will not die…Riku **CANNOT** die!_ he thought. Riku was his friend; his best friend. He wasn't about to lose him!_

"_Riku!" Tears began to form in Sora's eyes as he bent down next to Riku's side. "Riku…don't go!"_

"_It's…all right. Don't…worry about me…" Riku winced at the pain. His eyes slipped closed, and then opened again._

"_Riku!" Sora cried out as tears began to flow from his eyes._

"_Sora…I need t-to...t-to tell you something..." Riku gasped for air. It felt like…he couldn't breathe at all._

"_What?! What?!" Sora asked quickly as he held up Riku…he felt the blood all over Riku…and now it was on him as well._

"_I l…" Riku started, but did not finish. Sora felt Riku go limp in his arms._

"_WHAT?! WHAT?!" Sora demanded as he started to shake Riku wildly. "WHAT, RIKU?! WHAT?!" Sora sobbed as he hugged Riku close to him. "Please, Riku…don't go!" Sora wept into the other boy's bloody clothes._

_The two boys stayed there, Sora clutching Riku's limp, bloody body close to him, as the ambulance, police cars and fire trucks arrived. Everything was so…__**loud**_

"Sora?" Riku waved a hand in front of Sora's eyes. It did nothing. He snapped his fingers several times. Sora's eyes seemed so…distant. Like they were caught in a dream. The look in his eyes terrified Riku.

"Riku…what were you going to say to me before you died…" Sora's brows furrowed together as he frowned in thought.

Riku raised his eyebrows; then he lowered them—raised, lowered, raised, lowered. It kept going on and on. "I…I can't remember…" He frowned deeply.

"Oh well." Sora smiled slightly. "It doesn't matter, let's just get home."

---

The silence was still continuing, after what seemed like an hour or two. Neither one knew what to say...but Leon couldn't stand it anymore.

"Do you…want to go look for Sora?" Leon looked down at the ground as he crossed his arms.

Cloud's eyes lit up. "Squall?" He rushed over to the brunet. "Oh, I love you!" Cloud tackled the older boy to the ground and began to shower him with kisses. "But we gotta go look for Sora now!" He grabbed Leon's arm and charged toward to door, but right before he opened it, the door swung open and hit him clear in the face.

"AHHH!" Cloud screamed as he was thrown backwards.

"Cloud!" Sora ran over to his brother's side. "Are you okay?!"

Cloud groaned. "I'm fine." And then when he realized who it was…

"SORA! WHY YOU LITTLE…WHY WERNE'T YOU HERE LAST NIGHT?! OR THIS MORNING?! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN FOR SO LONG?! YOU HAD ME WORRIED SICK! YOU ARE SOOOO GROUNDED! Ohhh…Sora! I missed you so much!" Cloud suddenly hugged the younger brunet, and squeezed the poor boy to death.

"Am I still grounded?" Sora suddenly asked, trying to breathe.

"Yes," Cloud replied, smiling the entire time.

"Damn it!" Sora began to pout.

Riku watched the whole thing with a grin. The two acted the same as always. Riku quietly snuck up the stairs to Sora's bedroom. Might as well just wait for Sora up there.

---

After some time, Sora finally came through the bedroom door. Riku was lying on his side on Sora's bed. It seemed like Sora's bedroom hadn't changed at all, even though it had been five years since Riku had seen this room...it was still the same. So childish...so...

_Sora_.

"Hey," greeted Sora and smiled as he quietly walked though the door.

Riku smiled back, but it was almost a smirk. "What took you so long, slowpoke?"

Sora sighed as he walked over to his bed and sat down next to Riku. "Cloud really chewed me out, he was really curious about where I had been…I told him I sailed to our Island…to remember you, and accidentally fell asleep there. Cloud looked skeptical, but I think he believed it."

Riku snickered. "Gee, then he's almost as gullible as you, then."

"Wha?!" Sora's head snapped around to face Riku, who was grinning mischievously. "I am not!"

"Whatever you say, Sora." Riku shrugged his shoulders, his grin unchanging. "But I know the truth."

Suddenly, someone walked through the door, and that person just so happened to be Cloud. "Sora, who are you talking to?" Cloud's brows knitted together in curiosity.

"Uhh…err…that is…" Sora laughed nervously as he tried to think up a good excuse. "I was just talking to myself?" Sora said, almost unsure of the answer himself.

Cloud stared at Sora for a long moment, before he finally 'hmphed' and walked out of the room, laundry basket in hand.

"Phew, that was close," Sora said as he slumped backwards against the bed, sighing as he did so. How long could he keep Riku here this way?

"Yeah, I know. It was too close," Riku agreed, crossing his arms as he sat down next to Sora.

Sora snapped upwards, eyes as wide as tennis balls. "That's ALL you have to say?!"

Riku nodded slightly, while shrugging his shoulders. "Pretty much, yeah."

Sora fell backwards on the bed, groaning. "Why does my best friend have to be an idiot?!"

"Hey! Who are you calling an idiot?"

"Err…_you_. See, that proves your stupidity."

"Sora!" Riku screeched, staring down at the brunet. He pinned the brunet down against the bed. Sora squirmed underneath him, but it was no use. He could not get out. Riku was too strong.

"No way out, huh? Now, what should I do to you…" Riku trailed off as he pointed his head to the ceiling, as if he were in thought.

Sora grinned. This was the perfect chance! "Aha!" Sora kicked against Riku, attempting to flip off of the bed, but Riku had expected the attack, and pushed Sora right back down. Sora pouted.

"You're a big meanie."

Riku smirked. "I love it when you pout. It's so cute."

"Don't call me cute!" he snapped, but still continued to pout.

"See, it's just so adorable," said Riku as he grinned.

"Yeah, well at least I don't sulk."

Riku arched an eyebrow at this. "Who are you saying sulks?"

"You!" Sora groaned in frustration. Yep, Riku hadn't changed in the slightest…

…but he _had_.

From there on, somehow, a pillow fight had developed. Both boys screaming and laughing while they hit each other with the fluffy pillows. Feathers began to fly everywhere, and soon the room was in a disaster. It only took a matter of moments for Cloud to barge in the room, and demanded how the mess had happened.

Sora quickly came up with an excuse. "Err…I was looking for my lost shirt?"

Cloud knew it was a lie, but he didn't feel like pushing the subject. "Whatever. Leon and I are going grocery shopping, you better behave, and remember be home before dark."

Cloud closed the door quietly, and Sora jumped for joy. "I'm no longer grounded!"

"Good. Let's go have some fun." Riku grinned mischievously.

---

"But Riku—I haven't roller skated in FOREVER!" Sora whined as he clung to a lamp post for dear life. He could feel his feet slipping out from underneath him already. He clung tighter.

"Oh, don't be such a baby, Sora. It's easy as pie." Riku smirked as he glided in circles around the pole Sora was clinging to.

Sora began to pout. "It is NOT easy as pie! Pie I can eat, this I can't!"

Riku stopped his actions and stared at Sora. "That doesn't make any sense, Sora-Wora," said Riku teasingly.

"Well, it does to me."

Sora then attempted to move away from the lamp post, and…he was actually standing up without falling down. Sora grinned happily before he put his right foot forward and tried to move. Big mistake. **Big**.

He fell down flat on his face with a big _SMACK_!

Riku chuckled before he skated over to help his friend up. Sora muttered something inaudible as Riku picked him back up. He was quite angry with Riku now, and would have gone as far away as he could from him, if he had not needed his help to stand up. Oh, the irony of it all!

"Sora, c'mon, let me show you how to skate."

Riku let go of Sora's body and took his hand instead. Sora grew unsteady at the sudden change, but eventually got used to it. But when Riku attempted to move forward, taking Sora with him, Sora objected immediately, shaking his head back and forth wildly.

"Sora," Riku groaned, "c'mon, it's easy. First, just move your right foot a little, just a little bit. Come on, now!"

Sora stared at Riku for a long moment before he attempted to move his right foot forward. Hmph. That wasn't so bad.

Riku smiled brightly, as he continued to hold onto Sora. "And now, take a little step with your left foot," Riku instructed.

Sora did so, and it felt even better. With Riku by him, this was easy! Though he still hated him for earlier, of course.

Sora kept changing feet, and began to move faster and faster with Riku. Soon the two were sailing down the old road, and they could feel the cool wind blowing against them. Sora yelled happily, scaring some nearby birds as they passed them.

Riku grinned widely when he saw Sora's happy expression. He knew the brunet would love roller skating, if he only gave it a chance. He had liked roller skating way back when he was still alive, but Sora had always hated it. But Riku had tried many times for him to skate, but Sora would never give it a fair chance.

And now, finally, he had gotten Sora to roller skate. His eyes suddenly widened as he looked back at the road.

"Sora—w-wait, th-there's—there's a-a-a..."

"What?!" Sora looked down at the road, and suddenly saw a huge rock. "SHIIIIIIIIIT!" he screamed as the two hit the rock together, and flew into the sky.

Sora suddenly felt like singing, "I Believe I Can Fly", but held it back.

After a few seconds, the two hit the ground with a loud 'oomph' from both parties. Sora groaned. Why did he always land on the bottom? Hmph.

He closed his eyes. He knew he hated roller skating. The things were cursed—th-they—they were…!

"ROLLER SKATES ARE DEMENTED!" Sora suddenly declared, forgetting Riku was there at all.

"W-what?" Riku cocked his head to the side, awaiting Sora's answer.

"Err…nothing?" Sora grinned nervously, hoping Riku would forget what he had just blurted out.

Sora's brows furrowed together when he heard a chuckle, then the laughter grew, and soon, Riku was laughing so hard, that it started to shake Sora underneath him.

"H-hey! What's so funny!" Sora pouted underneath the older teen. Riku simply grinned and continued with his little laughing fit.

"You're just…" Riku trailed off.

"Just what!" Sora demanded.

"…so damn cute," Riku finished.

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY IT?! DON'T CALL ME CUTE!" Sora roughly shoved Riku off of him, or at least attempted to.

Riku saw this, and rolled off of Sora easily, the last of his laughter vanishing. The two lay there next to each other for a few moments, staring up at the beautiful sky. Riku suggested after a moment that they move to the grass because it was softer. Sora agreed.

The two together pointed out different clouds that looked like different things. Sora found a dragon, a boat and a rabbit. Riku found a dolphin, a carrot, and what he claimed was a swan, but Sora argued that it was a duck.

"O-ooh! Riku, look! It's a star!" Sora suddenly pointed to the sky at a star-shaped cloud.

"You dope, that's not a star."

"Wha?" Sora gaped. It was too a star!

"It's a Paopu, silly." Riku ruffled Sora's hair affectionately, before the two fell back into silence, staring up at the pinkish-orange sky once more.

The sun was just beginning to set, and it was a truly beautiful moment indeed. It was one of Sora's favorite things to do, to simply watch the sunset every day. He wouldn't miss that pleasure for the world. It was simply…breathtaking.

Even though Sora was enjoying the peaceful silence, something was nagging at him, and it wouldn't go away.

"Hey, Riku?"

"Hm?"

"W-will things always be this way?" Sora hurriedly asked. His voice was very quiet and timid, worried of Riku's answer.

Riku paused for a moment, and Sora couldn't see his face. It worried him. What if Riku was going to say no…

Riku turned his head to Sora, a blank expression on his face. Sora's eyes grew sad. So…hey weren't going to be like this forever! He felt extreme grief swoop over him suddenly. He should have known—Riku would go back to heaven—he wouldn't complete his mission. For goodness's sake, the boy didn't even know what it was.

Riku's expression suddenly changed into a smile. "Of course they will." But he didn't truly believe it.

Sora's head snapped around to Riku. "W-what?" His eyes were shining brightly, and his mouth felt as dry as a desert.

"Sora?" Riku raised an eyebrow. "Wha-what's wrong?" Riku turned to his friend, concern evident in his aquamarine eyes.

Sora laughed slightly and rubbed at his moist eyes. "I'm just…so happy, Riku." Sora smiled as he suddenly hugged the older teen. Sora nuzzled his head into Riku's chest, an extremely content smile gracing his lips. "Please…don't leave me, Riku. Not again."

"I won't…I won't," Riku said as he pulled the brunet closer to himself.

---

"We do **NOT** need any more sweets, Cloud."

Oh yes, Cloud and Leon were having the best time ever…but it was _always_ this much fun whenever they went grocery shopping. It basically went like this:

Cloud wanted chocolate.

Leon said it was unhealthy.

Cloud insisted on it.

Leon would not back down.

Yes, and it kept going on and on and **ON**.

"But, Le-_on_, chocolate makes you healthy," Cloud whined.

Leon simply grunted and placed the box of Cocoa Puffs cereal into their cart. "Okay, we've got every thing on the list now, let's go check out." Leon pushed the cart towards check out lane number 5.

---

_SMACK_!

Leon's right eye twitched. What…was that? Did someone just slap his ass—oh boy.

Leon slowly turned around to face the slapper… His eyes narrowed. There was the man that he _**really**_ could not stand. With his pale skin and his light brown hair that was tied back in a lose ponytail, and slightly fell in his face. And to top it all off…his stupid cowboy hat.

"Heya, Squally," Irvine practically purred. Leon mentally shuddered.

"That's Leon," he immediately corrected, trying to shove the insults back down his throat and lock them up and throw away the key.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Irvine grinned. "Anyway…where's that little blond of yours…what was his name again? Cougar…Chandler…Clyde?" Irvine kept listing off names that began with a "C". He really got the closest with Clyde…

"That's _Cloud_." Leon gritted his teeth. _Must control temper,_ he thought.

"Oh, yes, yes. Of course." Irvine nodded his head up and down quickly, the whole time grinning. "Where is he…anyway?"

"He went back to the car…and I am now taking the groceries to the car… I would prefer it if I could take those groceries _**now**_." Leon's voice was beginning to rise. _**Must**__ control temper,_ he repeated in thought.

"Oh?" Irvine raised an eyebrow and sauntered over closer to Leon, to where their bodies were almost touching. "Then why don't you and I…have some fun?" Irvine licked right behind Leon's ear. Leon shivered. _**Please**__ control your temper…controlling... temp—aw, screw it,_ he gave up in his mind.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!!" Leon screamed and stormed off, grocery bags in hands. He left a now hysterical Irvine behind, who was now practically rolling on the floor. This was what he lived for! Torturing Squally was the most hysterical thing in the entire world.

---

"Yoo-hoo. Cloudy-pants? Anyone home? Leeeon?" Sora called as he quietly opened the door to his house and entered it. Hmph. He shrugged his shoulders. "I guess no one's home…" Riku turned back toward Sora. "Okay, Riku! Come inside!" Sora called out to Riku, who was leaning against a tree. He smirked lazily and walked over to Sora, and together the two walked through the door.

The two sat down and started watching TV together, since they really had nothing much better to do, but soon that got boring, and Sora kept changing positions every five seconds. Riku found this much more interesting than the television. Sora was too adorable for words, and he didn't even realize it…or he at least denied it.

Riku leaned his head to the side as he continued to watch Sora, with his everlasting fidgeting. After a moment's hesitation, Sora spoke quietly. "I want ice cream," he said.

Riku raised an eyebrow at this, and then looked over to the kitchen, where the freezing-cold, delicious treat would be awaiting them. Riku hadn't had ice cream in _so_ long…or at least the special ice cream flavor that he always had here on Earth. He slowly grinned and ran to the kitchen, Sora trailing on behind him.

---

"What took you so long?" Cloud asked immediately when Leon plopped down into the driver's seat and heaved a sigh.

"Nothing," Leon grunted and began to drive out of the parking lot.

"Nothing, huh?" Cloud raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms, and leaned back in his seat. He pondered the situation for a moment.., What was the number one thing that could piss Leon off? Hmm…everything? Hmph. Nope. Not _everything_ pissed Leon off. Practically—yes; but not everything.

Could it be…

"Irvine was there!" Cloud suddenly gasped.

Leon's eyes immediately narrowed, but he said nothing in response. Cloud threw himself against his seat, laughing full-force. "Oh my gosh! Irvine teased you again, didn't he? Oh my gosh…I wish I could have been there." Cloud grinned, and propped his feet up on the dashboard.

Leon smacked Cloud's feet down. The drive home was completely silent, except for Cloud's occasional chuckle, and Leon's occasional growl.

---

"Whoa, I am like a frozen piggie." Riku patted his stomach. "Man, that was goooo-ood. I haven't had ice cream in forever."

Sora grinned. "I know, me either." Silence filled the room for a moment. And it was very peaceful. And then, suddenly—

"I WANT TO PLAY CANDY LAND!"

Sora suddenly covered his mouth, realizing what he had just blurted out. He 'eeped' at Riku's stare.

"I DO, TOO!"

"Really?" Sora's eyes bugged wide.

"Yeah…I do." Riku smiled and jumped out the kitchen. He ran out of the room into the living room. He was in Sora's room in a matter of seconds.

"Is it still in the same old place?" Riku called out. Sora replied back with a "yeah".

Riku pulled out the board game out of Sora's closet. He sneezed when dust flew in his face. Oh. My. Gosh. The thing was like…like a pile of dust! He walked down the stairs slowly, staring at the box that carried their game in it the entire time.

"Hey, Riku. Why are you so quiet now?" Sora's brows furrowed together in confusion.

"Well, why is it so dusty?" Riku blew at the box once more. It seemed a million particles of dust flew everywhere, making Sora sneeze.

"Well, in all honesty, I haven't played the game for…_five_ years,"

"Five…?" Riku gulped. He had been dead for five years. That meant…

"Well, time to play!" Sora quickly grabbed the box from Riku and back down the stairs.

Riku scratched the back of his head. Sora sure did act strange sometimes.

---

"Come on! Best 2 out of 3!"

"No way! I already told you Riku, it's hopeless. You've never been able to beat me at Candy Land."

Riku crossed his arms and began to sulk. He turned away so he didn't face Sora, and continued to sulk.

Sora sighed. "Okay, best two out of three."

"Yay!" Riku grinned and crawled back over to the game board, beaming the entire time. Sora smiled softly. Riku was still a little kid inside, after all this time.

Sora quickly shuffled the cards, and he picked his card first. (Youngest first, of course.) He got a double red. Riku quickly picked up his card and beamed.

"I got Princess Lolly!" Riku gripped the card and grinned. He quickly moved to the space.

Sora smiled through the rest of the game, and grinned in happiness when Riku ended up winning.

"Gee, can't believe you actually won, Riku."

Riku leaned back on a pillow and sighed dreamily. "Yeah, I can't either. Wait…"

"Wait what?" Sora raised an eyebrow, turning on his side to look at Riku instead of the ceiling.

"Did you let me win?"

"Of course not!" Sora laughed. "You won, fair and square."

"Hmph. Okay then…" Riku let out a breath of content, and rolled back onto his back once more.

Sora smiled. **(1)**

"Sora?" The door cracked open. "We're home." Sora jolted upwards.

"Shit! It's Cloud!" He quickly pushed Candy Land under the couch, and put the pillows back on top of the couch as well. He ran into the kitchen and put away all the spoons. He walked back out of the kitchen, as if everything were normal. Amazingly, he did this all in about five seconds flat.

"Oh, hey, Cloud!" Sora grinned as Cloud walked through door, groceries in both arms.

Cloud gave Sora a look, but did not question Sora's strange behavior. He just continued to walk to the kitchen. "LE-_ON_! Come on!"

After a moment, a grouchy Leon (When was he not grouchy?) walked through the door, holding groceries as well.

Sora groaned. Did they have another fight?

"Psst. Sora, come on!"

Sora whipped his head around to look at Riku, motioning for the two to go up the stairs. Sora started to head for the stairs just as—

"Hey, I'm home."

Sora narrowed his eyes, stormed to the door—

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN FOR THE PAST TWO DAYS?!"

Roxas was immediately lifted into the air, by Cloud, nonetheless. Cloud stared at the panicking Roxas, waiting for his answer. "Answer me," he hissed.

"Uhh—I...Well, Axel and I have sort of…of been...well, having lots and lots of se—" Roxas was immediately dropped down to the ground, holding a hand in front of Roxas' face to hush him.

"Shut it. Never mind, I don't wanna hear about it." Cloud's eyes dropped.

Roxas smirked. "Are you sure?" He arched an eyebrow. "I could tell about all the different positions we tried, and all the different places we did it… Like in the shower and—"

"I SAID FUCKING SHUT IT!!" Cloud screamed in horror, covering his ears and running up the stairs.

Roxas grinned mischievously and snickered as he watched the retreating Cloud. "Oh my gosh. He's just like always." He continued to laugh.

Sora crossed his arms. "You shouldn't tease Cloud so much, you know."

Roxas arched his eyebrows. "Oh, come on. It's just a little fun. You tease him, too, don't you?"

Sora scratched the back of his head. "Uhh…I—well, sometimes, I guess."

"Psst! Sora, hurry up! Let's go have fun!" Riku ran down the stairs and walked to the door, motioning with his head to come with him.

Sora bit his lip. Roxas frowned. "What is it?"

"Uhh—I j-just remembered, I said I was going to meet Tidus and Wakka today. We're supposed to play blitzball," he hurriedly lied.

Roxas' frown deepened. "But I thought you sucked at blitzball?"

"Well, they're going to try and teach me," he continued to lie his ass off.

Roxas stared at Sora. "Come on, Sora! I know where we can go!" Riku continued to call on him. Sora bit his lip to where it began to bleed and turned his head to where Riku was waiting. He smiled warmly at him, extending his hand for him to take.

Sora ran to the door. "I really have to go, bye! Tell Cloud I'll be back soon!"

The door slammed shut and Roxas sighed. "Yeah, right. Learning how to play blitzball when it's nearly dark. That little liar." Roxas walked into the kitchen to get himself a soda. "I wonder what the hell he's up to?"

"Finally! We're outta there!" Riku smiled brightly as he ran with Sora, pulling him behind him.

"Where are we going, anyway?" Sora asked as the wind hit his face.

Riku smirked and stopped running. He placed a finger to Sora's lip. "That's my little secret," he said with a twinkle in his eyes. He pulled his hand away, to realize there was blood on it. "Hey, Sora, you're bleeding..."

Sora's eyes widened as he began to blink quickly. "R-really?" he stuttered.

"Yeah," Riku said as he leaned in closer. "Let me take care of that." Sora blushed even further as Riku cupped Sora's right cheek with his hand and wiped away the blood with his index finger. Riku slowly traced Sora's bottom lip, being sure not to miss a single drop. Sora knew he was as red as a tomatoe.

Riku smiled as he pulled his hand away, but not the one cupping Sora's cheek. "There, all clean now."

"U-u-huh," Sora stuttered again. He was really losing it.

Riku caressed Sora's cheek affectionately and then removed his hand, and took Sora's hand instead. "Come on," he motioned with his head, "let's go."

Sora grinned and began to run with Riku—wherever they were heading.

---

"Can I open my eyes yet?" Sora asked as he nearly tripped over what he believed to be a rock.

Riku grabbed Sora around his waist even tighter, so he wouldn't trip any more. He continued to walk uphill as the stars began to come out from the darkness of the sky. The sun was fully gone, and it was nearly pitch black. It was nearly nighttime. And it was beautiful already.

"No, not yet."

"When?" Sora whined.

"Soon, we're almost there," Riku answered.

"Well, hurry up. I'm tired of walking," complained Sora.

"Okay, okay." Riku took a few more steps. "Okay, we're here," he announced.

Sora smirked. "Okay, can I open my eyes _NOW_?"

Riku rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Of course you can, doofus."

"Don't call me doofus," Sora ordered, and then opened his eyes. He waited a moment before he spoke, looking from side to side. "So, where is it?" he asked.

Riku sighed. "You don't get it, do you?" He walked over to Sora and grabbed his hand. "Come on, I'll show you."

Sora rolled his eyes, but took Riku's hand anyway. Sora couldn't quite figure out where Riku was taking him as his eyes were closed, but he knew he was getting higher and higher all the time. He just never figured out that they were up on a cliff.

Riku guided Sora to where they were nearly completely off the cliff before he stopped. He moved back a couple steps; to make sure Sora wouldn't fall. He couldn't dare risk that, ever. "Look—down there, Sora."

Sora's eyes slowly fell downwards. It was completely pitch black. He couldn't see anything. "What is it? I can't see anything, it's completely dark."

"Just trust me, wait a minute."

So Sora waited, squinting his eyes as he did so. In a few minutes, he suddenly saw something. It was bright. But the light went away after a moment. Then there was another, and then it was gone. And there was another, and another, and another. Soon, there were thousands of little lights everywhere.

Sora could see the entire landscape now. It was Destiny Islands, all down there. There was the huge, sparkling ocean that turned into a river at some point; there were all the little houses, that looked so small now; there were the trees and the flowers; the sands and the grass; everything looked ten times as beautiful now than before.

"R-Riku, it's so beautiful," Sora breathed out. "B-but what…what are all those lights?"

Riku smiled further. "Look further, Sora. I think you'll figure it out."

Sora squinted his eyes further and leaned his head down lower to get a closer look. He gasped softly. "They're fireflies."

"Yup." Riku titled his head to the side and sat down, his legs hanging off the edge of the cliff. Sora joined him.

"Riku, how do you know about this place?" Sora asked.

"Well, I always used to come here when I was younger. I found it by mistake once, when I got lost," he explained. "I'm so glad I lost my way that day." He turned his head to look Sora straight in the eye. "I'm so glad I finally got to show you it, my Sunshine."

Sora's eyes began to shine like brilliant crystals. "R-Riku—"

"Shh," said Riku, pointing up the sky of diamonds. **(2)** "Here comes the best part."

Sora looked up at the beautiful night sky. The moon was shining brightly and the stars were twinkling. There was not a cloud in sight. Suddenly, Sora saw a shimmering light, and it began to move at an incredible speed, and then it was gone. Another one came, and it vanished as well. Soon they began arriving in groups, and they did not stop. The entire sky was lit up now.

"R-Riku…what are they?"

"Shooting stars," he answered. "But I prefer to think of them as shooting Paopu fruits, instead."

"Riku…" Sora fell to the side and laid his head on Riku's shoulder, his eyes shining even more brilliantly than the stars. "You're such a great friend." He didn't really want to say that… He wished he could have said he loved Riku, but it would probably just freak him out.

Riku froze. Friend? Was that all Sora thought of him?

"Ah, it's so beautiful," said Sora.

Riku was still hung up on those words. _Such a great friend... Great. You're a great friend, Riku. Riku, you're such a great friend. Friend. GREAT FRIEND. FRIEND. FRIEND. __**FRIEND**_. That's all he was to Sora. He always knew this—but somehow hearing those words—drove him mad.

Sora lifted his head and turned around so he could face Riku. "Riku, what's wrong?" he asked as he continued to turn to face him. He turned a bit too much, though. The next thing Sora knew was that his head was thrown backwards as his body began to fall. His eyes widened as his hand reached out for Riku. "Riku!" he called. "Help me!"

Riku snapped out of his tormenting mind, and realized the desperation of the situation. But it was too late. Sora's hand was the last Riku saw before Sora started to plummet down towards the earth. Riku got on his hands and knees with widened eyes and looked down to where Sora was heading. There were sharp rocks underneath them.

Sora had already fallen quite a few feet, and Riku still hadn't done anything. His mind was still a blank, and he just couldn't comprehend anything completely. It was horrible—absolutely dreadful. But his body could not move. He was so horrified—it had made him immobile.

"_Riku…you're such a great friend," _Sora's words echoed in his head.

Riku shook his head wildly. Suddenly, it seemed like he could move again. Waves of energy washed through his body. He needed to save him! He had to do—do something! Riku looked behind himself nervously. But did he really want to do this? Yes, he did.

Sora's head flew backwards as he felt the wind blow his clothes wildly. His eyelids fought to stay open, but they eventually lost. Where was Riku? Where was his Riku? Why wasn't he saving him? _Where is he?_ Sora thought desperately. Why wasn't he here? He was going to die, and Riku wasn't here to save him…just like he hadn't saved Riku.

Sora's eyes opened as something swooped down beneath him and scooped him up. "Huh?" he turned his head to try and see what had saved him…but all he could see was the beautiful colors of white, silver and aquamarine. What was it?

Tears welled in Sora's eyes, though he did not cry. That was—that was so close. He had nearly died. It was so scary…he could hardly stand it. How had…how had Riku survived through that? Riku was a truly brave soul, indeed.

"Hey, it's all right now," Sora's savoir said. "Please don't cry; I don't want you to."

Sora frowned. He did not recognize that voice at all. What was that? Oh well. He was all right… But where was Riku? He needed to see him. "Where's Riku?" he mumbled into the white and aquamarine and silver colors.

"I'm right here," he answered.

"W-wha?" Sora lifted his head and turned it to the sound of the comforting voice. _I-it is Riku!_ Sora thought. _B-but how? He looks so different…_

Indeed, Riku looked quite different. He was now shirtless; and a pair of beautiful wings were coming from his back. They were mostly white…but had silver and aquamarine in the elegant wings. Riku looked so different. His face was glowing, and he looked so angelic. _D'oh, Sora. He __**is**__ an angel, you idiot,_ Sora scolded himself.

Riku smiled down at him, and it looked even warmer and more joyful and softer than ever before. It was most definitely a smile of an angel. Sora smiled right back at him, and then threw his arms around Riku's neck. "R-riku!" he cried. "I thought I'd never see you again—I-I thought I was dead. I didn't know what to do. Oh, I was so scared." The tears continued to well up in his eyes, but only one or two actually fell.

Riku was caught off guard with Sora's sudden attack and he nearly lost his balance in the air. He regained his balance in a moment, though. "Shh. Shh. It's all right, I said. Don't worry. I'm taking you home. We'll be there soon," he said, trying to be as comforting and reassuring as possible.

"B-but," Sora said as he bit his lip.

"Shh. It's all okay. I promise."

"I was so scared…" Sora said. "Riku, how did you survive? How could you go through something so horrible, and still manage to smile?" Sora asked.

"B-because—because I'm around you, Sora. _That's_ why I'm able to smile."

Sora's cheeks/tomatoes turned red instantly. He pulled his arms around Riku's neck even tighter, and buried his head in Riku's chest. "I was so scared," he said, before drifting off to sleep.

"And so was I," Riku quietly whispered, kissing Sora's forehead.

---

Riku swooped in through Sora's bedroom window (which was surprisingly left open) and plopped down on the floor. He closed his eyes and concentrated, and after a moment his wings disappeared. He walked over slowly to Sora's bed and laid the small brunet down. He pulled his sheets and comforter out and he tucked the boy in gingerly. He smiled as he looked down at the adorable, innocent face of Sora's.

He brushed a strand of hair out of his face, only for it to fall right back in its place. He chuckled softly. He caressed Sora's cheek lovingly and just sat there and watched _his_ angel sleep.

---

**1** - I know I shouldn't need to put a note here, but I just wanted to make sure everyone got the fact that Sora _did_ let Riku. But…I'm pretty sure Riku knew, anyway.

**2** - The day I wrote that part, I had heard "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" earlier on the radio. I guess you can guess it from there. xD

**-Edit Note:- **Yep, there were TONS of mistakes in this chapter. Oh, the horror of it all! –Faints- Ah well. They're fixed now. :) Though there are still probably ones I missed. Darn it all.

**Next chapter:** A look into the past. We see Sora and Riku first discover the secret island, share a Paopu, spend Christmas together and more.

That's it for now. Of course,** review**. And don't forget, if you _do_ **review**, the forth chapter will be up even sooner than expected. Until then, adiós!


	4. Remembrance: A Happy Childhood

Woo, it's been a while, eh? Sorry I took so long to update. -.-' I've been sick, and I had a lot less time to proof read/change things in this chapter. Thanks so much for the reviews! And guess what? I discovered a little nifty feature. I can reply to your lovely reviews without having to take up space here, so I shall do that from now on. I just replied to all the reviews from last time, so all questions and lovely comments are now replied to.

**Summary:** Sora Hikari is a normal 16-year-old trying to survive through school, friends, crazed ex-girlfriends (or they _think_ they were his girlfriend) and stalkers, or at least he thinks he is normal.

**Disclaimer:** (AKA the things I wish I owned, but I don't) A lemon tree, an ice skating rink, **Kingdom Hearts**, millions of manga, all the cookies in the world... I could go on and on.

**Warning:** This fic will contain **yaoi** (boyxboy love). If you do not care for boyxboy love, I suggest you leave. This fic will also contain **language**. But...I don't really think there's much in this chapter. Like there's only one swear word. xD

**Reviews:** Thanks again for the wonderful reviews! Reviewers make the world go 'round, and reviews make SkaterBABE57 write sooner, which equals more frequent updates.

**-Edit Note:- **Woo. The longest chapter must be edited now. xD Let's see how many mistakes there are? ;)

**A/N:** This chapter was hard to write at first, since it's supposed to be in the past. But soon...I got on a roll. XD So I quite like how it turned out, I hope you do, too. This is my longest chapter so far. XDD

---

I'll Be There for You - Chapter 4. _Remembrance_ - A Happy Childhood

-o-

"_We all lose friends…we lose them in death, to distance and over time. But even though they may be lost, hope is not. The key is to keep them in your heart, and when the time is right, you can pick up the friendship right where you left off. Even the lost find their way home when you leave the light on._" -- **Amy Marie Walz**

---

"Sora Victor James Wellington Hikari the III, get up now!" Sonja Hikari yelled at her son to get up.

Sora rolled over onto his stomach. "Just five more minutes," he breathed out.

She tapped her foot impatiently. "Not a chance! Just because you're eight, that doesn't mean you get to sleep in late."

Sora would still not get up, though. In fact, it took her at least another 20 more minutes to get the boy to even open his eyes. Pssh. It took another ten to get him to sit up, and finally, he was out of bed and dressed one hour after she had first come in. She had to keep alternating who she was waking up, see. She had **three** boys. How she survived, I will never know.

Cloud, her oldest son, woke up first. Followed by Sora, and finally Roxas, the youngest. He was one year younger than Sora. But it took lots of her time to wake these three up, how they made it on time to school was always a mystery to her. And now that it was summer...they felt like they could sleep whenever they pleased! Yeah right.

After her boys had finished up their breakfast, several of their friends dropped by. First Reno came in, Cloud's best friend. Then Axel; Roxas' best friend. And Sora, feeling quite lazy, dragged himself to the couch and began to drift off. Just when he heard someone laugh and say, "Sora, do you _ever_ get any sleep?"

Sora's eyes shot open. He sprung up and his brilliant blue eyes stared into aquamarine. He glomped the boy to the ground… "Riku!" …and he hit his head. "Oww," he mumbled.

Riku laughed and stood up, extending a hand for Sora. "Come on, silly goose! **(1)** Let's go play!"

Sora grinned and took the offered hand. "Okay!" The two ran out the door.

Sonja shook her head. "I swear." …But what was she swearing, exactly? No one will ever know…

---

"Darn it! I can't believe I lost…**AGAIN**!" Sora whined, dragging his arms, his wooden sword forgotten on the sand.

Riku smirked. He pointed to himself. "Come on Sora, _I_ am number one and always will be. You can **never** change that."

Sora rose up and grinned. "Then best two out of three!"

Riku sighed. "If you're sure..."

---

"C'mon! Best four out of six!" Sora begged, getting down on his knees and clasping his hands together. "I neeeeed to wiiiiiiiiin!"

Riku tossed away his sword. "Not a chance, Sora."

Sora hung his head further down. "PLEEEAAAASE!"

"No."

Sora stood up and walked beside Riku. "Pretty please?"

"No."

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"No way josé!"

"You're a big meanie ," said Sora as he crossed his arms and plopped down on the sand.

After he let out a chuckle, Riku plopped down on the sand next to him. Sora was pouting and would not speak, Riku decided to rest up a bit. He looked out at the beautiful sea, staring at it intently. After much more staring and concentrating, he realized something funny. "What's that?" he asked the still pouting Sora.

Sora shook his head. "Huh?"

Riku pointed his finger to something far, far away. "What's that?" he asked again.

Sora squinted his eyes, all he saw was some sort of…green dot. "What is that?" he asked.

Riku waited to speak for a moment; his lips were pursed. He then blurted out in excitement. "Let's find out!" He jumped up off the sand, a grin on his face.

"WHAT?!" Sora screeched.

"You heard me," he answered.

"Of course I did!" Sora screeched, his voice much higher than usual. "But that doesn't change the fact that you're completely nutso!"

"I am _NOT_ nutso!" Riku insisted.

"**YES**, you are!" Sora roared.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"We're going to see what that is and that's final!"

"FINE!" Sora screamed, crossing his arms. He turned his head sharply to the right, and refused to look at Riku.

As the two rowed out in a little boat, Sora still refused to look at Riku. And after Riku rowed for quite a bit, Sora's face fell to look at the bottom of the boat. He began to fidget every second, and changed positions every few moments. Soon, he said quietly "Let's not fight any more."

"Fine by me," Riku said.

Sora lifted his head and grinned. Next thing he did was glomp Riku, surprising the nine-year-old. "Oh, Riku!" he cheered. He planted a kiss on the older boy's cheek. "You're the best friend in the whole world!"

"Get off of me!" Riku roared.

Sora backed away and stared at the bottom of the boat. "Sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry," said Riku, as he stopped rowing. He turned around and squinted his eyes. "Is that…is that an island?" he asked.

Sora concentrated, too. "I-I think it is."

Riku thought this over for a moment, and then he grabbed his oars and rowed even harder. "Then c'mon! Let's hurry up!"

Sora began to row as well. "Okay!"

Soon the two friends made it out far enough out where they could tell that it was in fact some sort of island. But what could possibly be on that island?

"I bet it's a bunch of man-hungry cannibals," Riku teased Sora.

Sora shivered. "Cut it out, Riku!"

Riku laughed. "You're such a baby, Sora," he said with a happy sigh.

"And you're a big meanie," Sora complained.

Riku ignored his younger friend. "We're here!"

The two boys felt their boat wash up on the white sands of the beach. Riku instantly hopped out of the boat, and began to look around from side to side. Sora only lifted his head to peak around, scared that he was going to get eaten by a cannibal any second...

"**GAHRAWR**!" something screamed at Sora.

"AHHHHHH!!" Sora hopped down to the bottom of the boat on his stomach. The next thing he heard was something crashing down on the sand, and then laughter followed. Hesitantly, Sora slowly lifted his head. When he laid his eyes on the laughing creature, his eyes narrowed.

"Riku, I'll get you for that, one day, I swear!" Sora threatened. This only resulted in Riku laughing even more. Sora crossed his arms and exited the boat. He then headed off in the opposite direction of where Riku lay, stomping his feet the entire time. "Well, if I'm just so darn funny, I think I'll go have fun by myself!" Sora made it quite far, before he heard someone call after him.

"Sora! Come on! I didn't mean it," he attempted to apologize.

Sora just huffed and continued to stomp away from Riku. Riku groaned and began to run after the brunet. "Sora, please!" he begged. "I'm sorry," finally the words Sora wanted to hear came out.

He turned to Riku, his expression slowly changing into a smile. "I forgive you."

Riku finally caught up with the brunet's side. "Good. Then let's explore this island."

"I'm game," said Sora.

Riku nodded his head. "Okay, you search to the left, and I'll search to the right. Okay?"

Sora fidgeted at the idea of not searching with Riku, but eventually he nodded his head. "A-all right."

"Good." Riku grinned. "We'll meet back here in…thirty minutes, okay?" he said.

Sora slowly nodded his head. Riku waved goodbye and ran off in the right direction of the island. Sora was left all alone. He stood still for a few moments, not wanting to move. Gripping his fists, he finally decided to move off to the left.

He found a bunch of trees, different types of animals; mainly birds and reptiles. He found rocks, sticks, green plants. _Whoa,_ he thought. _How exciting._ He turned to the right, planning to head back now, when something caught his eye. What was that? He walked closer to it. There were some big rocks and boulders over there. But in between all them, there was some sort of space. Like…some sort of cave. He walked closer.

Soon Sora was at the entrance of the cave…or whatever it was. He bit his lip. Should he go inside or not? He wasn't really sure. But soon, curiosity got the better of him. And he went inside. It was quite dark, although the light coming in from the opening made it seeable. There was a little path that twisted and curved for a bit, but in a few seconds he made it to the end of the little cave.

He looked around; it was quite spacious, surprisingly. It was…rather cozy.

"Sora?"

Sora jerked around, holding his breath. He let it out in a sigh. "Riku?"

"Of course it's me, no one else is on this island, dummy," he answered sarcastically.

Sora put his hands on his hips. "You can be so mean."

"And you can be such a baby," Riku retorted.

Sora 'hmphed' and then remained silent.

"Wow, this cave is incredible," said Riku once he began to look around.

Sora stopped his silent mode, and smiled and said, "It sure is."

"Hey…" Riku trailed off as he turned to Sora. "Let's not tell anyone else about this cave."

"But why?" Sora asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Because…I want _this_ to be **our** secret place."

"Secret…place?" Sora still wasn't quite following it.

"What I mean is, is that I want this to be just our place. Only we will know about it. We can just hang out here…alone…together."

. . . "Oh!" Sora said as he finally got it. "Yes, it'll be our secret place." Sora smiled brightly. He then hugged Riku. "Thank you so much."

Riku just smiled.

---

Summer had now passed, and so had autumn. It was now December, December 25th, to be exact. It was Christmas on Destiny Island. Even if they didn't get any snow, Destiny Island was still full of the Christmas spirit; that was for sure. Riku had had his birthday in July, so he was now ten. Sora's birthday had been in August, so he was now nine.

Christmas carols filled the streets; Christmas lights were hung on palm trees; e veryone was merry and full of the Christmas spirit. Well, except for Riku Sugisaki. His parents had suddenly had to go out on a big business meeting, so they had left the day before, on Christmas Eve.

Riku felt very alone, and did not bother to open any of the gifts his parents had gotten him. He didn't feel like it. He heaved a heavy sigh. He slowly trudged over to the couch and turned on the TV. It was "It's a Wonderful Life". Pssh. Yeah, right.

He switched the channel. _Great_. This time it was a version of "A Christmas Carol". How peachy life could be, huh?

Soon, after much more grudging, Riku began to drift off to sleep. Even he hadn't woken up that long ago, Riku was so bored he didn't have anything better to do besides sleep. He hadn't gotten dressed yet, either. So he was still in his pajamas.

He had a half-empty bowl of popcorn, slowly sliding out of his loose arms, prepared to drop on the floor any sec—

_Plop_!

And it did just that.

Several popcorn pieces and kernels scattered across the clean carpet. Well…it wasn't very clean now. But Riku was so asleep, so he did not hear it. Nor did he hear the door crack open, and slowly creek open further to let two people creep inside his house.

Were they burglars?

No.

The two brunet/brunette's sneaked in quietly, being sure to not wake up Riku. They were carrying many things, some heavy, some light. Something dropped and broke.

"Shh!" the female said.

"Sorry," the boy apologized. They continued into the living room, and set down the heaviest thing. The two then went back outside to get the lighter and easier to carry things. The boy was smiling with happiness. The woman looked as if she were a cat who had eaten a canary. **(2)**

"Come on, hurry up!" whispered the woman, heading out the door again. The little brunet followed her, stifling a giggle. Two more boys showed up after that, happy as well. Soon everything was set up, and the brunet boy tapped the silver-haired boy on the shoulder.

"Gee, Mom, not yet," he said before going back to quietly snoring.

"Riku!" the boy whispered harshly. "I'm not your mother!"

"Fine, fine. Kairi, come on. I'm tired." He swatted a hand towards the brunet's face. The boy moved to the left, dodging it. He rolled his eyes and sighed.

"You dope. It's Christmas!"

"Christmas?" Riku sleepily said. "I don't know anyone named Christmas."

A smack to the forehead and another sigh later... "Riku, it's **SORA**!" yelled the brunet. "And I mean it's _Christmas morning_!"

Riku's aquamarine eyes slowly cracked open. He rubbed them with his left hand. He then blinked several times before he spoke. "Sora?" He yawned. "What're you doing here?"

"To spend Christmas with you, silly!" answered Sora.

Riku slowly looked around the room. There was Sonja, grinning like a mad woman. Cloud and Roxas were there as well. There were even presents…underneath a Christmas tree! Riku shook his head. He closed his eyes and lay back down on the couch. "I gotta be dreamin'."

The nine-year-old pulled him back up roughly. "You are not!" He was then yanked off of the couch. "C'mon! Time to open presents!" Riku was dragged to sit down by the tree. Sora grinned, brimming with happiness. A gift wrapped in red paper with snowflakes printed on it was tossed to Riku. He caught it.

"Open it," said Sora, failing in holding back his smile.

Riku let a small smile slip out as he began to open the small package.

---

The Christmas the two had shared was very special. All the gifts had been opened, dinner eaten, Christmas carols sung, prayers made. All in all, Christmas was nearly over. It was 11:37 now, only a few minutes left of the special day. The Hikari's had ended up staying in the Sugisaki household. Riku was quite glad for the company. Some crack babysitter had been sent over to take care of him, but she was just shoved away. Sonja was the best babysitter there was. Period. Even if she was a bit crazy at times…

…or was that **ALL** the time? Riku forgot sometimes.

But now it had just turned midnight, so Christmas was officially gone now. Riku let out a small sigh. He walked back into the living room, to see Sora asleep on the couch, softly snoring. The TV was on; you could barely hear the sound coming from it. It was "It's a Wonderful Life" again. Riku shook his head, stifling a laugh.

He wandered out of the room, returning a moment later with a blanket. He curled up on the couch with Sora, and wrapped the blanket around himself and Sora.

"Merry Christmas, Sora," he whispered.

---

Winter sailed by, and it was now spring again. It was the beginning of April—April 5th, actually. The two best friends had wandered on to the island, dueling again. Sora lost, obviously. But this didn't mean that he gave up, of course.

He was now working on improving his skills, as Riku lay on the sand, basking in the sun. He was nearly asleep, and would occasionally grumble now and then. Sora ignored it, continuing to swing his sword, trying to get it faster and stronger each time. Soon, he was quite exhausted. As he dropped his sword and turned to where Riku was, he saw the silver-haired boy had finally stood, looking out at the ocean.

A second later, he turned to Sora, grinning. "Wanna race?" he asked.

Sora grinned as well. He nodded his head. "Sure!" He figured he could use some work on his speed after all, Riku dodged most of his attacks because he was so speedy.

Riku grabbed a twig and drew a line in the sand. "This is the starting line," he explained. He then pointed to a giant palm tree further down on the beach. "And _that's_ the finish line. Got it?" Sora nodded his head. "Then let's race! 1…2…3!"

With that, the two friends dashed off, Riku just a tad ahead. The two were practically speed demons, but no matter what, Riku was always ahead. Sora swore he had turbo jets attached to his feet sometimes…

But as Sora was racing, something caught his eye up ahead. What…was that? And just then, the two reached the finish line. Riku won, of course. Sora looked closer at what he had seen. AH! So _that's_ what it was!

"Riku, look! It's a Paopu tree!" The brunet smiled as the two friends halted in their racing, and stopped in front of the tree.

"'Course it is. I know that." Riku grinned cockily.

"Don't be cocky, Riku." Sora sighed before his smile returned. "Don'tcha just love Paopus, Riku? I sure do!" Sora grinned as he sat down on the white sand of their island. "They're different from other fruit, y'know? They're all…star-shaped, and…are—are yellow, just like a shining star!"

Riku swore he saw Sora's eyes shine when he said that, but then again…when were Sora's eyes **NOT** shining?

An idea suddenly popped up in Riku's head. What if…?

"Hey, Sora!" Riku jumped up from the ground and grinned. "Why don't we get a Paopu down?"

"Okay!" Sora smiled as he hopped up from the sandy surface. "But Riku…"—Sora looked up at the tall tree hopelessly—"…we can't reach the top to get one." He frowned.

"Hey! Get on my shoulders," said Riku as he bent down so Sora could climb up on his back.

"Sure thing!" Sora beamed as he jumped up on Riku's shoulders.

"Hey! Take it easy!" Riku growled as he slowly stood up, to not knock off Sora. Once Riku was standing to his full height, he started to feel the weight of Sora. Sora began to reach for the lowest fruit, but couldn't quite make it.

Riku gritted his teeth. "Hurry up! You're heavy!" Riku complained.

"I'm trying!" Sora barked out. "Just…a little more…" Sora tried to elongate his fingers, but it was impossible. "Give me a push!" he called out.

"Grr!" Riku gritted his teeth harder as he tried to forget the weight on his shoulders and stood up fully, standing on his tiptoes.

"Got it!" Sora grinned as he pulled the tree from the fruit…only to come crashing down with Riku. The two rolled in circles as balls on the white sand, until they crashed against a palm tree.

"Owwie," Sora whined as he rubbed his arm.

"Don't be such a baby." Riku smirked.

Oh, Sora knew it was wrong. A ten-year-old…smirking!

"Anyway, why'dja want the Paopu?" Sora curiously asked as the two leaned against the giant palm tree.

"Well…I kind of wanted to share it with you." And Sora could have sworn it…Riku was blushing!

Wait…why'd he want to share a Paopu with Sora? The legend goes: "If two people share a Paopu fruit, their destinies become intertwined and they'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what." So why did Riku want to share one with him?

"Why?" Sora bluntly asked.

"Err…we're best friends and all, right?" Riku shuffled his feet back and forth slightly.

"Yeah," Sora dumbly responded, not too sure of where Riku was heading with this…

"Well, best friends want to be together forever, right?"

"Right," Sora responded once more. What was Riku—oh! Right!

"Well, then we should share one! To be together forever!" Riku smiled brightly as he broke the paopu in half and handed one half to Sora.

"Wait…" Sora stopped Riku from taking a bite of his paopu half. "We should eat it at the exact same time."

"How about…" Riku started.

"On three! One…" Sora finished for Riku.

"Two…" Riku continued, bringing the paopu closer to his mouth.

"Three!" they shouted together before they both dove into their paopu halfs.

---

Spring had zoomed by right before their eyes. Summer had just begun again for the two friends, although they weren't as joyous this time. No…something had happened. Something they did not want to happen at all. They…had to be apart.

Sonja, Sora, Cloud, and Roxas…they were all going to spend the entire summer with relatives in Twilight Town. Riku was in distress. He couldn't even remember a time when he and Sora had been apart. Every day he would see Sora, it seemed. He just…couldn't comprehend the fact that Sora was going to leave today.

His mother had no idea what was wrong with Riku. She tried to cheer him up, nothing worked. His father was at work…today was his mother's day off. Riku was on the couch, cuddled in a blanket, staring off into blank space. His mother finally gave up, and went to go make herself a cup of coffee. It was 11:57 A.M. Sora's boat left at 1:30 P.M.

Riku couldn't bring himself to go see the Hikaris off. Why did they have to leave? Just to spend some time with some stinkin' relatives…

Okay. _Maybe_ they weren't stinkin', but Riku sure felt like they were right now. He heaved another sigh and turned around to face the back of the couch. After much more grudging, he finally fell asleep.

---

Riku's eyelids slowly slid open. What…what time was it? Then his eyes snapped open. He looked up at the clock. It was…it was…!

1:15! Oh. My. _**GOSH**_!

He shot up like a light. He quickly ran up the stairs to get dressed and put his shoes on. He ran back down the stairs a minute later. If you did not know any better, you would assume the boy was possessed. He flung the door open, and then dashed out, the door swinging back shut with the force of his run.

His mother was sleeping in a kitchen chair, her head resting on the table. She did not move in the slightest. You would think…that she could be dead. She wasn't, of course, but you might think that…

Anyway, back to our dear Riku. He was running faster than lightning, practically. Much faster than he usually ran when he raced Sora. Where the surge of speed had come from? Oh, most likely because a certain brunette was going to enter a boat…in five minutes and fourty-three seconds exactly.

The dock was quite a ways from where Riku lived, but thankfully, he was nearly there now. Sora now was going to be gone for three months in exactly…three minutes and fifty-seven seconds. Riku now only seemed to run faster and faster. As fast as his little legs could carry him.

---

Sonja was bouncing around merrily, not being able to hide her enthusiasm about riding a boat. She loved boats, and they all knew it by now. She kept blabbering and blabbering about how mighty and awesome they were. Cloud and Roxas were practically now bored to tears, already saying goodbye to Reno and Axel, and all of their other friends. Sora had said goodbye to his other friends as well. But there was someone who had not come yet. And he was very sad now.

In two minutes, they would have to board the boat—with or without saying goodbye to Riku. Sora figured something must have happened. Maybe Riku had gotten sick, or what if he had broken a bone… Or perhaps he had slept in late today…

_Yeah right,_ a voice scoffed in his head. He didn't want to agree with the voice, but sadly, it seemed like it was true. Riku wasn't here…perhaps he did not care about Sora enough to come.

Some voice boomed something, and then Sonja bounced over to her three children. "Time to board the boat!" she sang as she grabbed Sora's and Roxas' hands, Cloud trailing behind them, and skipped up to the boat. They waited in line, and then entered after everyone else. Sora hopped on a brown crate so he could see Destiny Island as it disappeared. Something warm began to sting his eyes.

He didn't think he would cry. He didn't want to cry. He cried so much…it made him feel so weak. Why did he have to cry so much? It was unfair… Riku was so strong, he never saw Riku cry. Ever. He wished he could be more like Riku…

Sora furrowed his brows together when he thought he heard something. He listened closer. There was nothing. Oh well. It must have been his imagination… He hopped off the box, turning around, intent on going to their room…

"Hey, wait up!" he heard someone call again.

Okay, so he **had** heard something. He was not delusional after all.

"SORA!"

Sora frowned. Who _was_ that? He hopped back onto the crate and looked out onto Destiny Island once more. Just then, the boat was started up, and it began to move. Sora nearly fell off the crate with the sudden movement.

"Wait, don't go yet! I have to say goodbye!" Sora heard the voice again. And as the boat was beginning to sail away, the person finally came into sight. It was Riku. Riku had come. He had actually made it.

The tears suddenly rushed back, although Sora tried his hardest for them not to come. His bright blue eyes shined with a mixture of joy and sorrow. Riku…he had actually come. He was so delighted. Sora stood on his tiptoes on the crate, and held onto a railing with one hand. With his other, he lifted it and waved ecstatically to his best friend.

"RIKU!" he called out. "Goodbye!"

And just at that very second, Riku made it to the dock, fully out of breath and exhausted. He doubled over, attempting to catch his breath. Although it seemed to just get worse that way… He lifted his head, and called out to Sora, "I'm sorry I'm late!"

Sora only grinned. "I'm just glad you came!" A tear of Sora's slipped out; he quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand. The boat was getting further and further away, but Sora was now leaning over the railing, so he could see Riku closer.

"I'll miss you!" Riku called, wiping away a tear that slipped out of his own. He sniffled and then smiled sadly. "Don't leave me forever, Sora! You better come back to me!"

The boat was now getting further and further away. Sora could barely see Riku anymore. He called out, "I will, Riku! I will come back to you!" He waved once more, another tear fell. Another of Riku's tears fell, too. Riku waved back as well. And then Sora was gone.

---

The three months went by…incredibly slow, actually. Riku felt like it was forever… His birthday had passed—he was now eleven. He had had to celebrate it without Sora. But tomorrow…tomorrow Sora came back. And he was very excited.

He hadn't really done much since summer break had started at all. Yeah, he had played with their other friends some, but mostly he stayed cooped up in his home. He hadn't gone to the Island or Secret Place, either. He just wished the time would go by quickly, and Sora would be back again. But for some reason…he was worried Sora would be gone. Gone forever.

He knew Sora had promised he would come back to him, no matter what. But still…something was eating away at him inside. And it just wouldn't go away. It was very unnerving. Actually, since Sora had been gone, just in case he would be back, Riku had been working on something. Something for Sora. A birthday present for Sora.

But he needed some fresh air now. He set down his present for Sora, and walked to the door. He opened it, and closed it behind him softly. He jumped over the small set of stairs, and then put his hands in his pockets and walked down the sidewalk, soaking up the warm breeze and the bright sunlight. Geez, he hadn't been out in a few days. It sure felt nice to be out now…

Riku was suddenly tackled to the ground. He groaned. Who was the culprit this time? Kairi? Selphie? Heck, Axel? He opened his eyes to look up into blue eyes. Blue eyes…blue eyes… Tidus? Naminé? No…these blue eyes were different.

"Oh my gosh, Riku!" The person pulled away slightly, so then Riku could see their beautiful face. His breath was hitched in his throat. Sora. It was Sora. And he looked better than ever. Had Sora always…been this good-looking? Riku pursed his lips together, worried about what might blurt out of his mouth.

"RIKU! I missed you sooo much!" Sora was practically squealing as he hugged Riku to death. He let out a content sigh. "It seems like forever since I last saw you," he said, as he comfortably laid his head on Riku's stomach.

Riku felt his face heat up. He had to stay calm. Very calm. Why was he thinking about Sora this way? He had never thought of him this way before… What was so different this time? He inhaled deeply, and then finally said something. "Sora, you did come back. Just like you promised."

Sora chuckled. "Of course I did, silly. I can't take being away from you, Ri."

Riku only smiled, thankful that Sora couldn't see his blush. "It felt like forever," he said.

"I know it did," said Sora. "I felt like I'd never see you again."

Riku nodded his head, agreeing. His blush finally faded away. He let out a small sigh. Why was he thinking about Sora this way?

---

The friends were back to normal again. And it was now August 9th. Sora's birthday. **(3)** Riku had just finished his gift on midnight the day before. He was now wrapping it up for Sora. He had to be at Sora's house in about…half an hour. Phew. He still had time.

"There," he said as he stuck the bow on Sora's wrapped gift. He smiled to himself. He had…been wrapping the present for at least an hour... _Yeah_. Anyway, he thought it finally looked perfect. He had actually…gone through the whole roll of wrapping paper. He had kept messing up while wrapping it, but finally, the last time, it was perfect. He let out a content sigh. He looked over to the clock, anxiously. Twenty-five minutes now. Sora lived right down the street; so he didn't have to leave early at all.

He was just very nervous now. He was worried that…that maybe Sora would hate his gift. He'd probably not like it at all. Their friendship could be ruined because of this…

But then an image of Sora smiling brightly popped up in Riku's head. He found himself smiling as well. With a blush on his cheeks nonetheless. He scolded himself. He had never felt this way...why now? The question remained unanswered. He looked over to the clock again. Twenty-two more minutes now…

Then twenty-one, and then twenty… Riku bit his lip nervously. He rocked back and forth on his knees, twiddling his fingers. He looked to the clock again. Seventeen minutes now. Riku hopped up off his knees. He then began to pace. And then he began to think. Thinking was dangerous; Riku knew it. But he kept thinking about Sora. Yeah, he thought about Sora often already…but not in this way.

He rubbed his chin, trying to get to the source of his feelings. Maybe it just meant that he had gotten even closer to Sora? It didn't mean he felt about Sora that way…

He glanced down at Sora's gift. His face flushed again. He heaved an exasperated sigh. He then looked to the clock again. Fifteen minutes now. He began to pace once more, crossing his arms behind his back. He leaned over and continued to pace. He nearly looked like a worried father in the waiting room at a hospital…

He looked at Sora's gift again, and then stopped his pacing. He sat down besides the present, sitting cross-legged. He picked up the gift carefully. He didn't want to mess it up. He had just finished wrapping it perfectly, after all. He slowly stood up, and headed to the door. It was now ten minutes until he was supposed to head over to the Hikari household.

He slowly walked down the stairs, so he could kill time. How many minutes was it now until he was supposed to be there? He just couldn't wait. He was so anxious and nervous it was nearly killing him inside. Boy, he needed to _relax_. Big time.

He finally made it all the way down the stairs. He walked into the kitchen to see what time it was now. He gasped. Five minutes! He needed to head over there…**NOW**. He walked over to the door, with a medium speed, twisted the knob, and then headed outside. Even though he didn't know what time it was now, he had four minutes. Although, they were just down the street, he was fine. Absolutely, positively fine.

He was gripping Sora's gift in his arms, making sure not to drop it, but not squishing it, either. Now three minutes, as he looked at the driveway of the Hikari home. He stopped dead in front of it, gulped, closed his eyes, and then walked nervously up it. It was now two minutes.

He walked up the small set of stairs, his feet trembling slightly as he did so. He closed his eyes before ringing the doorbell, but before his finger actually hit it, the door swung open, resulting in Riku nearly crashing down the stairs.

"Riku!" Sora squeaked. "I'm so glad you're here!" Sora squeezed Riku, but did not squish the gift. He dragged Riku inside by the sleeve of his shirt. "Come on inside!"

Riku wanted to kill himself. He was blushing again. He cursed himself in his head with every swear word he knew. Which…was quite a bit, actually. All their other friends were there; Kairi, Tidus, Selphie, Wakka, Naminé, Reno, Kadaj, Axel... Of course all of Sora's family was there as well. Well…except his dad, of course.

Zach Hikari had died in a car accident a long time ago. Sora was only two years old. He did not remember him at all. Roxas was one, and Cloud was six. Cloud only remembered him even a little bit. Zach Hikari was a good, honest man. It was obvious why Sonja had married him.

But now Riku's gift had been dropped into the gift pile. Sora was so excited. He took a gift and unwrapped it quickly. It was from Kairi. He then opened the gifts from Roxas, Reno, Wakka, Tidus, Naminé, Cloud, Selphie, (it was candy, nonetheless) Kadaj, Axel, and of course, Sonja. Riku was very nervous the entire time Sora opened the presents. He was wondering why the heck Sora hadn't opened his yet.

Sora finally picked up the squishy wrapped package. He hugged it to his chest. "I saved the best for last," he said as he grinned. While Sora had opened the other presents in a second, he took his time with Riku. Riku felt like biting his nails, but he had quit that habit a long time ago.

The bow was now off, and Sora began to unwrap Riku's gift. _Ah, screw it,_ Riku thought, lifting his left hand to bite off his fingernails. The paper began to tear; Riku bit off his fingernails with more vigor. After all of Riku's fingernails were practically gone, Riku's gift had finally been opened. Riku just sat there in horror, staring at Sora, knowing he was blushing. And he did not even know why.

Once it was finally opened, there was complete silence. Sora sat and stared at the gift before him. H-had…Riku bought this, or did he make it? The silence was deafening for Riku. He felt like it was going to swallow him whole. He closed his eyes, expecting the worse…

Sora finally lifted his head and turned it to Riku. "Riku," he said, "I love it!"

Riku opened his eyes. He then got hugged by the brunet very enthusiastically. "Did you make it?!" Sora asked, already knowing the answer coming.

Once Riku's head hit the ground, he answered, "Yes, I made it."

This resulted in Sora squeezing harder. "Oh, thank you! Thank you! You make me so happy, Riku!" Sora kissed Riku on the cheek. Riku felt as if it burned. As he sat up again, and everyone was getting ready to eat cake, Riku hung his head, trying to cover up his mad blush.

---

It was now about a week after Sora's birthday. And where were they? The island, of course. Where **else** would they be? I cannot think of anywhere…

But presently, Riku had fallen asleep on the sand, and Sora decided to play a little trick on him. Well, maybe not so little. Riku was sleeping on a blanket, so Sora could easily pull this trick. He grabbed onto the end of the blanket, and slightly pulled on it. He moved Riku the tiniest bit. He tugged again, this time he moved him a little further. He kept tugging and tugging and tugging, and Sora—Sora was at the very edge of the ocean. He pulled Riku one last time, just as a huge wave was about to come crashing down, he quickly ran away, grinning like a crazy person. Much like…Sonja.

Riku grumbled something incoherent and stretched. Just then, the wave was rising. It was getting ready to crash down any moment. Sora watched, trying to hold back his fit of giggles. And just then, the wave came crashing down, swallowing up Riku.

"WHAT THE HECK!" came a mad scream.

Sora laughed and ran away, a moment later being chased by Riku.

"SORA, you're **DEAD**!"

Sora grinned as he sprinted away. He was ahead of Riku this time, thank goodness. But then…

_CONK_!

…then next thing Sora knew, he was flying through the air, after tripping on something very hard. He landed down on the ground a second later, and looked behind him to see what he had hit. Geez, it was another one of those stupid, useless rocks. And next thing…

"Gotcha!"

…Sora was captured by a very wet Riku. His plan…had only worked half way. Darn it.

---

Later, Riku was searching the island again, he swore they must have missed something. Sora shook his head at this. He picked up his sword, and resumed his practice swings. He worked on a special one, a low down one, trying to knock Riku off his feet. But he actually _DID_ end up hitting something.

Sora dropped his sword and looked at what it was. It was another one of those rocks. But...something was different this time. Sora looked in closer. It was something very bright and green. He arched his eyebrows when he realized that was the inside of the rock. He bit his lip.

He knew he wanted to make some present for Riku's next birthday, since Riku had made something for him. He wanted it to be very special, but he just wasn't sure what he wanted to make. And now…now he was sure.

He quickly picked up the two halves of the rock in his arms, and headed over to their boat. Ah, thank goodness he brought his backpack today. He unzipped it, and placed the rock halves inside. He held his breath as he zipped it shut, worried that Riku would return any moment.

But he didn't.

Sora quickly ran back to where he was practicing, and then he picked up his sword, and resumed his practicing. A moment later, Riku returned. He let out a sigh.

Riku grinned as he jogged over to Sora. "Sora, I gotta show you something," he said.

"What?" asked Sora.

Riku just shook his head and laughed. "It's a surprise." He then grabbed Sora's wrist, and ran off with him from where Riku had just returned.

Sora was dragged along through the center of the jungle. "Come on, Riku. Tell me where we're going," he whined. When he saw a snake, he shivered, clinging onto Riku's arm tighter. Sora blushed at the touch; Riku did not. He needed to get a better hold on…his feelings. They meant nothing, anyway, right? They would all go away in time. He was sure of that.

Two or three minutes passed before the immortal question popped up.

"Are we there yet?" Sora asked, ever so innocently.

"No," Riku answered, patient for the moment.

Sora waited five seconds. "Are we there _NOW_?"

Riku dragged Sora through the jungle faster, pulling his arm harder than he had to. "**No**."

This time—ten seconds. "Now?"

"No."

One second… "Now?"

"No."

"How about…_now_?" Sora asked, with a glint in his eyes.

"**SHUT THE HELL UP!**" Riku screamed.

Sora gasped. "Ooooh. You said the "H" word."

"I don't care," Riku grumbled. Sora remained silent. A minute later, they arrived. Riku moved a giant palm leaf, and he led Sora to a magical place. Where a giant lake was and a beautiful waterfall flowed. There were beautiful, exotic plants growing freely, and vibrant, colorful flowers bloomed. Sora had never seen a more beautiful place in his entire short life.

Riku looked over at Sora, a smile slowly changing into a grin. "Wanna go for a swim?"

"You bet!" Sora took off in a run, taking off his shirt on the way. He then dove into the lake with a big splash.

---

After their little adventure today, the two were in their own beds, asleep. Well, Riku was, Sora wasn't. Instead, he walked over to his backpack and got out the two halves of the rock. He carried them over to his desk in his arm. They were quite heavy.

He set them down with a loud thud. He heaved a sigh, and searched for his knife. He searched everywhere, practically, and then he finally found it. He smiled. He walked back over to his desk, knife in hand, and then sat down in his chair.

He inhaled, and then he exhaled. He repeated the process. He was getting _so_ much work done. Well, he had this idea, but it was probably impossible…he couldn't do that. It was too much work, how could he possibly…?

But he knew it was the only way.

Slowly, a shaky hand picked up half of the rock. The other, with the knife, slowly began to pick inside the rock, trying to make a shape out of it. He scraped and cut, and kept carving away with all his might. He realized he was sweating, and that his hands were practically dying, but he kept on carving away.

A long time after, he finally finished. He smiled with pride, and then let out a content sigh. "There," he said as he pulled away, looking at the finished piece. He couldn't keep his eyes off of it. He was just so happy. And that…that was only one half of the rock. With more determination than ever, Sora quickly grabbed the other half, and began carving away once more.

It didn't take him quite as long to finish this time, but still, it wasn't exactly speedy, either. But once it was finished, it looked exactly the same as the other one. A perfect heart. He was so satisfied. He looked over at the clock, after holding up the two hearts near the light, shoot, it was way past his bedtime. After looking at the two hearts in the light once more, he pulled open a drawer and set them inside, in a box, and locked them away.

He then ran over to his bed, hopped inside, and tried to drift off to sleep. Sora didn't find this too difficult that night.

---

And so, the year sped by once more. Sora getting more and more rocks every time they headed out to the Island. Riku's birthday was now only a week away, and he only had one heart left to finish. He was very happy. He was just about to work on the last heart, when Riku called him. He wanted to hang out today, so Sora quickly hid the rock and ran out the door.

As he exited the house, he frowned. It looked like it was going to rain today…

---

**1** - I put that in there because of my friend, Justin. I call him Silly Goose, and he calls me Silly Weasel. :D He also is the one that said the quote in the last chapter. Hehe.

**2** - I hate this saying, but that really is how Sonja looked. But seriously…why must canaries always be eaten by cats:(

**3 **– Tis the date of my birthday. -.-' Haha. I'm so original, aren't I?

Okay, and as a last little note, the ending scene is set on the day that Riku dies. Remember…it was raining when it happened.

**-Edit Note:- **Hm. The errors weren't too bad—but there were still quite a few. :) Haha. I hope to edit the fifth chapter soon! I'm half done.

**Next chapter:** Roxas gets suspicious, Riku gets sat on, and our favorite redheaded stalker returns!

See ya next time! But now I ask that you would please **review**, because if Skaterstar57 gets reviews, she gets happy, and a happy Skaterstars57 equals a much better world for us to live in! (Heh. I rhymed. XD)


	5. Knowing When to Shut Your Mouth

Hey there! -Waves- I'm Skaterstar57, and welcome to chapter five of "I'll Be There For You". I hope you enjoy it!

**Summary:** Sora Hikari is a normal 16-year-old trying to survive through school, friends, crazed ex-girlfriends (or they _think_ they were his girlfriend) and stalkers. Or at least he thinks he is normal...

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Kingdom Hearts…let's just say…the game wouldn't be rated E for everyone. And since it is, I think we can safely assume that it is still in the hands of Square and Disney. T-T

**Warning: **This fic will contain **yaoi**(boyxboy love). If you do not care for boyxboy love, I suggest you leave. This fic will also contain**language**.

**Reviews:** Thanks for the lovely reviews again! But remember—if you review, the updates should come more quickly. :D

**-Edit Note:- **I remember having a lot of fun when I wrote this chapter. XD But I may change a few things in it. I suppose we shall see…

**A/N:** You know how I said that chapter three was my favorite? Well, that has now changed. XD I love this chapter so much! It was a lot of fun to write, especially since we get to see Axel and Roxas together (yay!). Oh, and there's also some ice skating references in this chapter, they are explained at the end. Ooh! But now, we shall move onto the story -Cheers-

* * *

I'll Be There for You - Chapter 5. Knowing When To Shut Your Mouth

-o-

"_Drop the chocolate, and nobody gets hurt!_" -- **My shirt (Also what Selphie might say...)**

* * *

The day after Riku had saved Sora was very eventful, if I must say. But right now, we are going to drop in on Axel, who just happened to be nibbling Roxas' ear at the moment, and then attempting to kiss the dirty blond, but was swatted away. Axel paid no mind to it, though, and bent down to kiss Roxas' neck.

"Quit it, Axel," Roxas said before he crossed his arms and began to think.

"Come on, Roxy, what's the matter? You've been ignoring me ALL day!" Axel sat up, not pinning Roxas to the couch anymore.

Roxas frowned and sat up, as well. "It's…Sora," he said, puzzling himself.

"What about Sora?" he asked.

Roxas sighed. "I don't know!" he groaned.

After a moment of silence, Axel grinned. "C'mon, I know what will make you feel better." Axel had that wicked look, the one Roxas had grown to love so much. Roxas looked away from Axel.

"Really, Axel. I'm not in the mood."

But Axel did not relent, he got on top of Roxas once more, he closed his eyes, and opened them slowly. They seemed so much darker now. He bent down closer to Roxas. "Oh, but you don't mean that."

"Yes, I do. Sora's acting very..."

But Roxas never got the chance to finish that sentence.

* * *

Sora began to hum to himself as he waltzed back to his room. He looked at Riku and smiled. "Thanks…for everything." He blushed and hung his head.

Riku offered a half-smile in return. "It was my pleasure."

This only resulted in Sora blushing even more. He quickly tried to change the subject. "U-uh…do you want anything to eat?" he asked.

Riku shook his head. "I don't have to eat. I only eat when I want to, now. Thanks, anyway, though."

"N-no problem," Sora said before the conversation fell silent. It was so odd how today was going. Sora had felt so comfortable around Riku since he had been back, but now…now he felt oddly strange. He was blushing a lot more than he usually did; he knew that, he just wished he could hide them. But the next thing he knew was that Riku had hopped off of Sora's bed, and was rummaging through his DVD's, CD's and video games.

"Any interesting games come out since I've been gone?" he asked.

Sora snapped his head around to where Riku was crouching. He took a deep breath, and then let it out before answering. "Y-yeah. I really like the sequel to Super Smash Brothers."

Riku's eyes bugged wide. "They made a sequel?" Sora nodded his head. He hopped up, now suddenly very excited. "Is it totally awesome like the first one?"

Sora grinned widely. "Even better!"

Riku slid to where the Gamecube lay, and quickly pulled out Super Smash Bros. Melee. "Then let's play!"

Sora sat down next to Riku, equally as excited as Riku. "I'll beat you this time!" he swore.

"Not a chance!" Riku laughed. "I almost always beat you on the first one, so there's no way you'll win. So what if I've never played it? I'm gonna kick your ass!"

* * *

Axel let out a content sigh, but he realized Roxas wasn't so happy now. He pulled the younger boy closer to himself. Roxas grumbled something under his breath.

Axel smirked. "Sorry, love, but I didn't catch that."

Roxas threw his arms up in the air. "He's hiding something, I know it!"

Axel groaned. "Come on. You're still going on about that? I thought we had fixed your little problem."

"It's not a little problem!" Roxas shouted. "And _NO_ we **DID not** fix it, for your information."

Axel sighed as he removed his arms around Roxas' waist. He then went to go get his shirt on. Axel started to walk out of the room, but Roxas called him back.

"Hey, Axel," he called.

"What?"

"I know how we can fix the problem," he said.

Axel grinned at this. "Really?"

"Yes, and if we can fix it, I'll do whatever you want for the rest of the day."

Axel felt like doing a back flip. He ran back over to Roxas and listened to what he had to say.

* * *

So, at the Hikari home, the battle raged on. Sora had now won ten times; Riku had won six. He still couldn't believe that Sora freakin' beat him…ten times.

But really, Sora had gotten like…five years to practice. The rules they set up were that the first person to win fifteen battles would be declared the winner. Sora had now won eleven, and Riku had won nine. Riku had decided that his best character was Fox. He was his best character in the first one, after all.

Sora always picked Zelda, but remained as Sheik during the entire battle. **(1)** Riku was getting very tired with Sheik always kicking his ass. Another battle ended. Sora won…again. Now the score was: Sora: 12, Riku: 8.

Riku then went on to win two battles in a row. He grinned. Maybe he was finally getting the hang of this. Now Sora was only ahead of him by one. He was so excited. Sora won the next one, but then Riku won two more in a row again. So now it was tied—thirteen to thirteen.

But Riku did end up losing, and he frowned and frowned and frowned. It took Sora quite some time to snap Riku out of his sulking. He tried so many different things to snap him out of it, but nothing worked. He finally grabbed Riku's hand, and dragged him out of his house. Once they were outside, Sora offered to take Riku anywhere he wanted to go.

There was silence for quite a while, and then a grin slowly spread across Riku's lips. Oh, he most certainly had something planned. "All right," he said. He looked over to Sora with a smirk. "I know where we can go."

Sora gulped…maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. Riku grabbed Sora by his wrist, and proceeded to drag him far, far away. "Where are we going?" asked Sora.

"It's a surprise," said Riku.

Sora winced as they dodged a stop sign. "You're so secretive all the damn time," Sora complained.

"And it annoys you to tears," Riku said, dodging a bush as they continued to run.

"No, it just annoys the hell out of me," Sora snapped.

"Well, then my job is done."

Sora huffed, but continued to run with Riku. Although he did try to pry his arm free from Riku's hold, but Riku would hear none of it. Sora flustered as he gave into Riku dragging him.

"Why the hell is Sora running so fast?" asked a redhead, hiding behind a bush.

Said redhead was punched in the arm. "I have no idea!" A pause. The blond thought this over for a moment. Then he said, "Anyway, we gotta keep going after them. Let's hurry up."

"Remember, if we fix this problem, you do whatever I want all day."

Said redhead was smacked this time.

* * *

Sora groaned. Why couldn't they ride a bus or something? They had run so far now… Wait. Sora looked around himself suspiciously, as he continued to run with Riku. They were now in the city part of Destiny Island. What on earth would Riku want to do up there?

Sora's eyes widened and he gasped, just as Riku stopped running. Sora continued to run, though, and Riku was now dragged along with Sora.

"We are **NOT** going to the friggin' ice rink!" Sora yelled.

"Oh, yes, we are!" Riku then stopped, stopping Sora with him this time. He grinned in triumph. "You promised," he said, knowing Sora was trapped.

Sora whined and stamped his foot. "Why am I a complete and utter idiot?"

"I don't know. You've been one since I met you."

Riku got conked on his head. After this, Sora turned away, huffing, and then began to pout. There was a moment of awkward silence, before Riku attempted to touch Sora's shoulder, and then Sora quickly turned that shoulder, brushing off Riku's hand in the process. Riku sighed.

"You know I just like to play with you, Sora."

Sora still would not face Riku.

Riku sighed again, louder this time. "I'm sorry, Sora," he said.

Sora finally turned to him, smiling. "You're forgiven."

Riku did something unexpected. He blushed. He thought he had gotten that under control by now… And after the realization that Sora only thought of him as a friend, he thought he could push his feelings behind him. But when…when Sora just smiled so…

He shook his head, grinning to himself, and then grabbed Sora's hand again. "Then let's get in there!"

"But I already hate roller skating. You know they're demented," Sora complained. "It's ten times worse when you're on the ice." But Sora didn't get to say anymore on the subject for Riku then dragged him into the entrance.

"Who is he talking to?" the blond asked.

"How the hell should I know?" said the redhead. Said red hair was pulled. He then whined. "Well…I suppose he could be crazy. Obviously no one else is here."

Roxas thought this over for a minute, while humming. "I guess he could. Sora was always an odd one."

Axel raised an eyebrow at this. "And you're_NOT_ odd?"

You probably can guess what happened next…

"Aw, come on, Roxy, that's why I love you," he said, wrapping his arms around Roxas' waist. Roxas grumbled at this, but did not push the redhead away. "Can we go home now?" he asked. Roxas slowly nodded his head. "I guess so. Sora probably is crazy. Too many years being around Kairi, I suppose." The two then headed back to Axel's house. After all, Roxas did promise to do whatever Axel wanted for the rest of the day. I wonder how Cloud would feel about that… But Roxas and Axel weren't the only ones watching Sora—there was another redhead. And I can tell you this much, it was not Reno, nor was it Wakka. Can you **guess** who it was?

---

Now inside the ice skating rink, Sora had paid his admission and for his rental skates. Riku quickly went back to steal a pair of the skates that were his size.

"Haha. This is so much fun. I don't have to pay for anything," Riku said, sitting down next to Sora to lace up his skates. The rink wasn't all that crowded, which was a good thing. It wasn't deserted though, either.

Riku finished lacing up his skates first, and Sora actually hadn't even finished the first one yet. He kept screwing up the knots, and just didn't lace them around the hooks correctly. Riku watched Sora attempt to tie them for a minute, and then he offered to help him. Sora mumbled a thank you, tilting his head downwards so Riku wouldn't see the slight redness that risen to his cheeks.

Riku patted Sora's right boot. "All done," he said.

Sora mumbled another thank you, before attempting to stand up. He then fell flat on his face, for his skate laces were tied together. From the ground, Sora looked around for the laughing Riku. He spotted him, stood on his knees, and repeatedly swatted him over and over again. Riku only laughed further.

"You are so much fun to tease," he said, his laughter still as heavy as ever.

"And you're a sick, twisted bastard," Sora spat.

"Ah, you noticed?" Riku said, standing up to go out to the rink now.

Sora grumbled something under his breath. Riku didn't catch all of it, but it did sound like he said the words, "Dumb", "twisted" and "Riku". Riku was about to go through the doors to the rink, when he realized Sora wasn't following him. He ran back to the brunet, and dragged him along.

But Sora grabbed onto a chair, which was then dragged along with him. He grabbed onto a table. It, too, was dragged along with him. He let them go, eventually, and instead grabbed onto the wall as Riku walked through the doors. Sora was hanging on, and it seemed like he would win this time. But then his fingers began to slip, and soon…soon his hold was freed, and he was dragged into the cold ice rink.

* * *

"Admission for a public session, please. I have my own skates."

The bored teenager took the girl's money and gave her the change. The girl said thank you, and walked over to a bench to lace up her skates. She took the soakers **(2)** off of her blades and put her pink guards **(3)** on them instead. Her red hair fell in her face as she laced them up tight. She grabbed a bottle of water and then walked through the double doors.

She pursed her lips together as she saw a certain brunet struggle to get to the side of the rink. He was about to enter, and she was ready to keep watch on him.

"Come on, Sora, ice skating is more fun than roller skating," Riku continued to drag Sora to the door to the rink. Suddenly it was getting more and more crowded. _That's just great,_ Sora thought. _Now everyone's going to think I'm a loony 'cause I'll be talking to myself so damn much._

"It is not!" Sora argued. "How can it be more fun on ice?! We live on an island, why not ENJOY the hot weather? Why must we ice skate?"

"Because you promised me," he said with a smirk. "Now c'mon, we need to get on the ice."

"Nuh-uh," Sora said, sitting down on a bench and crossing his arms and legs. Geez, it was even hard to **walk** in ice skates. How the hell could you _SKATE_ in them? Come **on**!

"Uh-huh," Riku said, grabbing Sora's arm again. Sora snatched it away.

"Nuh-_uh_."

"Uh-huh."

"No way!" Sora screamed.

"Yes **WAY**!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"I will never get on that damn ice!"

"Yes, you damn will!"

"Will not!"

"Will so!"

Sora stuck his tongue out. "Over my dead body."

Riku groaned in frustration. "You're getting on the fucking ice, whether you want to or not!" He grabbed Sora's arm. This time, Sora did not reject.

_Riku's very scary,_ Sora thought.

While this scene was happening, a certain redhead was watching behind a bench. She'd go on the ice once Sora was on. But she wondered…why the heck was Sora talking to himself? Yes, she talked to herself, but why was Sora doing it? It did not make sense whatsoever.

Riku was already on the ice, and there were many people out here by now. Now they wasted all their time fighting instead of being on the ice. This was no fair… Sora was looking out at the people gliding by, the figure skaters doing jumps and spins, and then, of course, the people falling on their asses every five seconds. Sora gulped, closing his eyes and wishing he hadn't been so darn stupid as to agree to take Riku anywhere he wanted to go…

"Sora," came a sing-song voice. For a moment, Sora thought it was his mother. Gee, wouldn't _that_ have been a surprise? Thank goodness, though, it was only Riku. Although the fact that Riku reminded him of his mother was a tad bit scary…

Riku hopped off the ice and went back to Sora. He grabbed his arm and stepped back on the ice backwards. "It's time to skate, Sora," he said, grinning. Reluctantly, Sora slowly stepped on the ice with one of his skates. He then stepped on with his left foot, too.

_Okay,_ he thought. _You're on the ice. Now all you got to do is move. Just a li'l bit…_

Riku was still holding onto Sora's hands, and Sora felt like if Riku let go now, he would surely fall flat on his face. Riku then began to move backwards very slowly, checking over his shoulder to make sure they wouldn't run into anyone. Sora attempted to step forward, he lost his balance, nearly falling backwards, but Riku kept him from falling. Sora mumbled a small thanks to him. Riku only smiled in return.

They then tried again. Sora was able to move this time, only slightly losing his balance this time. Sora smiled, looking up at Riku instead of the ice. Riku smiled back, and just at that moment, Sora lost his balance and fell backwards on his bum. He groaned, rubbing his back.

Riku covered his mouth with his right hand, trying to hold back a laugh, and failing. He swallowed, pushing away his laughter. "Sora, are you all right?" he asked.

Sora grumbled curses on Riku under his breath. Riku offered his hand to Sora, Sora took it, but was still grumbling. When Riku tried to skate with Sora again, Sora swatted away his hands. "I can skate on my own."

"I'd like to see you try," Riku said, trying to hold back laughter again as he saw Sora hold on to the sides of the skating arena for dear life. He scrambled and dodged the people who kept on passing him, giving him the oddest looks. A redhead passed him, who was in a skating dress. Sora felt like he had seen her before…

Next thing, Sora fell flat on his stomach, he was completely sprawled out on the ice, like a star. Riku chuckled and skated small circles around Sora. "Aww, wittle baby Sora doesn't need my help," he said in a very baby-ish tone. He then grew sincere. "Come on, Sora, let me help you again."

Sora stuck out his bottom lip, acting as if he hadn't heard a word Riku said. But finally, he extended his hand. Riku stopped the circles around Sora, and stared down at the brunet, a surprised expression on his face. "So, Mr. Tough Guy _does_ need help, after all." He raised an eyebrow.

A chain of curses was muttered. Riku laughed and helped Sora up. "You're so cu—" Riku cut off mid-sentence when he noticed the death glare Sora was giving him. After Sora was up, he cleared his throat and said, "What I mean is…you're so…" Riku paused. What could he say? "…cool."

"Wow. Gee, thanks," said Sora sarcastically.

Riku simply ignored the brunet, and grabbed his right hand. Sora did not swat it away this time. Riku moved his right foot, practically forcing Sora to follow. He glided on his left, and then his right. If Sora didn't start moving soon, he would be dragged on along with Riku, anyway. Finally he gave in, and started moving along by Riku's side. "I hate you," Sora grumbled.

"And I love you," Riku replied, grinning. Thank goodness he was slightly ahead of Sora, for he was blushing again. Gah, why the hell did he keep doing that?! With his free hand he rubbed at his cheek viciously. He knew it wouldn't get rid of the blush, but he didn't really care. And, come on, they were in an_ice skating_ rink! He was supposed to be _**cold**_!

Riku wasn't the only one blushing, though.

Finally pulling himself out of his thoughts, Riku increased the speed in which they were going around the rink. Sora seemed to be getting the hang of it. Maybe it wouldn't be such a rough time, after all. Sora grinned. Hey, ice skating was easier than roller skating after all. Woohoo! But then suddenly…a kid in hockey skates quickly whizzed by, throwing Sora off his balance, resulting in him falling…again. He let out a sigh, as laughter erupted around him. He then proceeded to pout.

A hand was offered to him, he took it, even though he was mad at Riku. But when he stood, he realized it wasn't Riku's hand he had taken. It was a girl. A girl in a skating dress. A _red-haired_ girl in a skating dress. No way… It couldn't be… Im-_possible_!

"Sora!" said the girl in glee. "Who would have thought I would see you hear?!"

"Kairi," Sora greeted, bowing his head slightly.

She blushed instantly. "Ohhhhh, you are just the sweetest thing! But…why are you here? I thought my boyfriend didn't care for skating."

"I don't," Sora grumbled. Thank goodness he caught himself before he said his best friend who died five years ago had dragged him here.

She gasped, covering her mouth with her velvet pink glove covered hands. "You mean…" Her violet eyes brimmed with happiness. "You mean…you came to see me!"

Sora was just opening his mouth to tell her off, when Riku covered his mouth, whispering sharply. "Sora!" he scolded. "Shut the hell up! If Kairi is as crazy as you say, you shouldn't anger her."

Sora cursed Riku, but they only came out as muffled screams since his mouth was covered. Before Kairi could notice, though, she pulled Sora into a bone-crushing hug. "Oh, you're the best boyfriend in the whole world!"

Sora's face heated up with anger, he was about to pull her pretty red hair when his behind was suddenly slapped. His left eye twitched. When Kairi finally pulled away from the life-threatening hug, Sora quickly whipped around to see a cackling Riku. Sora's eyes widened even further. He was about to tell Riku off, when he thought of a better plan. He gave Riku a sinister smile, and then turned back to face Kairi.

He planted a kiss on Kairi's cheek, (even though he could hardly stand it) and grabbed her hand and started skating around the rink with her. Riku was left standing there, back slouched and jaw nearly touching the icy surface. Had…had what he just seen…really _**happen**_ or was it all a horrific dream? Man, he hoped for the latter.

Or maybe he had been drinking?

No. Cross that out.

Someone skated past Riku, hitting his shoulder. He nearly lost his balance. His jaw fell even more when he realized the person who had hit him was Sora, who was still holding Kairi's hand and was quite speedy right about now.

It took Riku five minutes to snap out of his stupor, and all it took was one kiss. His eyes would now be as wide as basketballs, (if that were humanly possible) after witnessing that redheaded girl smash her poisonous lips against his Sora's angelic ones. He felt like he was going to have a seizure. He finally shook his head wildly back and forth, trying to rid the image out of his mind. But now Kairi had her arms wrapped around Sora's neck, trapping him.

Riku quickly skated to Sora's rescue. He pried Sora free from the redhead's arms, and pushed the girl to the ground. He grabbed Sora's arm and quickly exited the ice rink with him. "We're leaving!" he said, a thunderstorm starting to brew in Riku's head.

Once the two made it to the lobby, Riku quickly unlaced his skates, and then quickly untied Sora's. Riku began to lace up his shoes, as Sora then did the same. Sora secretly smiled the entire time. So, it _had_ worked. Riku was jealous. Well, he at least was extremely upset.

As soon as their shoes were tied, Riku grabbed Sora's hand and dragged him out the double doors. Sora tried to hold back his smile, but he couldn't help it. "Where are we going now?" he asked.

"Away from that woman. She's a witch," he spat.

Sora arched an eyebrow, laughing slightly. "Funny. I always thought of her more as a bitch."

Riku tightened his grip on Sora's hand, dragging the brunet away from the ice rink faster than ever. "More the reason to stay the hell away from her." Riku took a sharp turn to the left.

"Where are we going?" Sora asked again.

"Somewhere away from the redheaded demon."

"I thought Kairi was your best friend besides me?" Sora asked, dodging a stop sign.

"She _WAS_," he answered. "But that…that _thing_ in there is not the Kairi **I** knew."

Sora nodded his head, as Riku quickly moved to the right, dodging a tree. After a few more minutes of running, Riku finally stopped. "We're here," he announced.

Sora stopped along with Riku, he looked around the area. He then raised an eyebrow, looking straight at Riku. "You want to go to a movie?"

Riku grinned. "Yoooouuuuuu bet'cha!" he grabbed Sora's wrist, and ran through the entrance.

Sora groaned. Riku was like a hyperactive bunny. Hell, he was more hyper than Selphie…

Sora shivered. Scratch that thought. **No one** was more hyper than Selphie was. It was…literally impossible for someone to be more hyper than Selphie. Absolute fact.

Riku suddenly turned to Sora. "What movie should we see?" he asked.

Sora shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. It was_your_ idea to come here, _you_ pick one."

Riku crossed his arms. "Fine. I will."

While Riku decided on what movie they should see, Sora looked at the different titles. Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. What would be a good movie to see? Action? Maybe. They usually were good. But sometimes they really sucked. Horror? Gah, he hated the sight of blood. Riku did love them, though. He gave Riku a hesitant glance._Great,_ Sora thought. _He's looking at a horror movie poster! Just PEACHY!_

Sora wandered back to his thoughts. What about…a drama? No, it would most likely be too depressing. Life already was sad enough, did we need a movie to tell us that? Romance? Sora thought this over for a minute. Romances weren't _too_ bad, although they did get too mushy sometimes. Wait…he forgot one! Comedy! Comedies were perfect. They could make you laugh, they weren't too serious, not usually that much romance… Sora grinned. And no blood—the best of all.

Sora turned to Riku, opening his mouth, just as Riku said, "We're going to go see Vampire Slashing Madness X!**(4)**"

Sora groaned. So much for comedies…

After buying a ticket for one, (Riku could sneak in, after all, no one could see him) Riku and Sora headed for the refreshment stand. They ordered a bucket of popcorn, two candy bars and two drinks.

As Sora handed the cashier the money, the cashier asked, "Someone joining you, kid?"

Sora nearly told the freak off, saying that he was indeed no kid. Instead, Riku jabbed Sora in the ribs with his elbow. Sora quickly said, "Yes."

The cashier smiled. "Then have fun." He handed Sora his change.

"Thank you," Sora said, he grabbed the popcorn; Riku grabbed the drinks and candies. They instantly turned invisible, along with him. Although, Sora could still see him. Wow, that was rather funky…

The two then headed into the theater, Sora's ticket being torn and the stub given back to him on the way. The two then quietly went into the theater for "Vampire Slashing Madness X". There were a few people in the theater, but it wasn't overcrowded or anything. The two sat down in the middle of the sixth row, no one else was in their row.

Sora sighed thankfully. Thank goodness. Then maybe Sora wouldn't look so insane if Riku talked to him, and he talked back.

The previews had just started when Riku turned to Sora, smiling widely. "Don'tcha just love horror flicks?" he said, popping a piece of popcorn in his mouth.

Sora put on a fake smile, turning to Riku. "Y-yeah," he said, gulping.

Riku laughed, patting Sora on the back. "Come on, it won't be that scary," Riku said, attempting to comfort Sora.

Sora shivered at the touch. "I-I guess."

The two friends turned silent, then deciding to watch the previews. Just then, a man walked into the theater and walked down the row where Riku and Sora were. And surprisingly enough, sat right on top of Riku.

Sora's eyes bulged wide as the incident took place. Usually, people didn't sit next to each other they didn't know. This was…odd. Sora sat in silence, wondering what the hell he should say to the man. He coughed slightly, turning to the man, and said, "Excuse me, sir, but this seat is taken."

"It is now," the man replied.

Sora pursed his lips together, his anger rising. The nerve of this punk! Why he…why he oughta…

But just then, the man jumped up out of the seat, and scurried to a different row entirely. Sora's eyebrows rose at this. _What the hell just happened?_ he thought.

"What did you do?" Sora whispered harshly to Riku, who had a cocky smirk on his face.

"I stomped the dude's foot," he explained. "It was difficult…since I was being sat on at the moment."

"Bastard," Sora muttered on his breath—he was then gripped by his shirt.

"What **DID** you just say, honey?" he asked, in a very scary tone for Sora.

"N-n-n-n-n-nothing," Sora stuttered, very nervous of the things Riku could do to him. He instantly blushed. Riku would _never_ do that to him. Why did that image even pop up in his head? He shook his head, trying to forget the thought entirely. But for some reason…the image would not leave his head.

* * *

"Do I even _have_ brothers anymore?" Cloud asked Leon.

Leon shrugged his shoulders. "Well, they certainly aren't here a lot."

Cloud felt like groaning. He already knew that! Instead, though, he sighed. "I know. I feel so lonely. And not only are my brothers never home, but Mom is on a road trip with her friends now! They could be **killed** if she got behind the wheel!" Cloud mentally shuddered. He was so glad when he learned to drive. Really, it wasn't safe driving with Sonja, honestly.

"I'm here," Leon said, wrapping his arms around Cloud's waist.

Cloud sighed again. "That, indeed, you are."

Leon bent over and rested his chin in between Cloud's shoulder and his neck. Cloud closed his eyes, as Leon rocked him back and forth slightly. Yes, he did have Leon. And he was really all he needed in this world.

---

Well, back to our duo at the movies. It was just starting to get very creepy and scary, and Sora had already bitten off more than half of his fingernails. _Oh no,_ Sora thought. _Shelly! Watch out! The vampire, the vampire! Sh-shelly!_

Sora closed his eyes, scared to death. He hesitantly opened them after a moment. His eyes widened in surprise. Shelly had knocked out the vampire! He grinned. But…five minutes after that, a vampire attacked Shelly out of nowhere. She was dead.

Sora winced at the sight of the blood. He looked over to Riku; he wasn't bothered by it all in the slightest.

_Riku's so…_ Sora thought.

He glanced back at the screen. It was more gory than ever. He bit his lip, drawing a tiny bit of blood out. He winced again. _Damn vampires!_ he thought. _Now they killed Justin! __**(5)**__ How could they?!_

Sora jumped in his seat, grabbing Riku's hand in the process. Riku's eyes widened as Sora's hand hit his. He nervously glanced down at it. He quickly looked back up at the screen. His heart was literally beating out of his chest. Yes, he had held Sora's hand before. Hell, he held it the whole way over here. But…for some reason, it felt different this time.

Sora squeezed Riku's hand. The action was just starting to kick in with a big chase scene. Sora was now very scared. He pulled his legs up to his chest, turning to Riku. "I'm scared," he said.

Riku was blushing like mad now. Sora was so close to him, he could hardly stand it. It felt like his whole body was on fire. He wasn't paying attention to the movie at all anymore. It kind of sucked, anyway. He knew he had to comfort Sora in some way, though. But it was so hard to concentrate.

He had no idea why he was feeling this way now. I mean he had had this little crush on Sora for some time, now. So why did it effect him so much now? Gosh, he wished he knew the answer to that. Swallowing down the lump in his throat, Riku turned to Sora, offering him a gentle smile.

"It's all right," he said, running a hand through Sora's spiky hair. "It's just a movie."

"But there's so much blood," Sora whined. "I never wanted to see any more blood again."

Riku closed his eyes, pulling Sora in for a close hug. "Do you want to leave?" he asked.

"Yes."

Riku smiled. "That's fine. It sucked, anyway."

Sora laughed.

* * *

"You got the fireworks?"

"Check."

"How about refreshments?"

"Check."

"Giant umbrellas?"

"Double check."

Reno nodded his head. "Great! I think we have everything for the big party, then."

Kadaj sighed. "Remind me why we're doing this again?"

Reno grinned. "Do you even have to ask? In honor of all the college students, such as you and me, coming back for the summer!"

Kadaj glanced nervously at the fireworks. "Why the fireworks, though? You know how Axel can get when he's around them."

Reno rubbed his chin, thinking this over. "Hmm. That _could_ be a problem. Well, I suppose we'll just have to make sure Axel doesn't see them until they've been lit."

"Will that **really** work?" Kadaj asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course it will! I am the brilliant Reno—"

Reno stopped mid-sentence when he heard a scoff. He rolled his eyes at Kadaj. "Come on, most of my plans work."

"Most! HAH! You're lucky if a third of your wacko plans turn out well."

Reno started walking around in a little circle, crossing his arms. "Must you always be this mean?"

"Yes," Kadaj answered simply.

"Come on, Kay-Kay, you weren't this mean when I first met you."

Kadaj crossed his arms, as well. "That is my exact point. You _force_ me to act this way. You act like a five-year-old."

"I do not," Reno said, sticking out his tongue at Kadaj.

"Yes, you do," Kadaj argued.

Reno paused, thinking over what to say next. "The kitchen's dirty," he said, a glint in his eyes.

Kadaj stood still. He clenched his fists at his sides. Reno stood there, grinning. Ohhh, this was _too_ good! Kadaj was a cleanaholic. No doubt. If anything was even remotely dirty, as soon as Kadaj arrived, it was spotless. Although, this did cause trouble with their relationship sometimes, since Reno loved being messy and dirty. He never wanted to clean up after himself. He didn't even have to, really, for Kadaj always made sure it was clean.

Reno's grin widened, he could see how much it was killing Kadaj. He was just _itching_ to go and clean the kitchen. But was it really dirty? I do not think so, but to Kadaj, it probably was. Kadaj was now sweating. Reno decided to add, "And the garbage bag is full, too."

Kadaj made a sprint for the kitchen. Reno was left standing there, shaking his head and laughing. But after a minute of listening to Kadaj's cleaning in the kitchen, Reno went back to making sure they had everything for the grand party.

He double checked conga drums, and continued to go through the entire list.

* * *

Once Riku and Sora had exited the movie theater, someone called to Sora, making him turn around. "Huh?"

"Sora!" he heard a voice yell.

He finally spotted a small blonde running toward him, a smile on her face. He smiled. "Hey, Rikku!"

"What?" Riku asked.

Sora slapped Riku's arm lightly. "Not you!"

Sora crouched down as the young blonde ran into his arms, nearly knocking him over. "Whoa there!" he said, laughing.

"Sora! I **knew** I would see you today, I just knew it!"

Riku stared down at the two with puzzled eyes. Who the hell was this girl? And why the hell was her name RIKU?

"You wanna go play?" Rikku asked, tugging on Sora's shirt.

Sora looked up at Riku, who had his arms crossed and didn't look all that happy. Sora bent over and patted the girl's head. "I'm sorry, Rikku, but I'm gonna have to take a rain check."

"But why?" Rikku asked, frowning.

Sora glanced behind his shoulder, looking at Riku nervously. "U-u-uh…"

"What is it?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

Sora looked back at Rikku. "I-it's just…" He sighed. "Maybe we can play tomorrow, all right?" Sora then took off in a run, Riku running by his side. He turned around, running backwards, and waved to Rikku. "See ya later!"

Rikku was left there puzzled. "Okay… What was _that_ all about?"

As soon as the two friends got a little further up, Riku stopped running, Sora did the same.

"Who was that?"

Sora smiled. "Ah, that was Rikku…" he explained. Riku was still looking at him, very puzzled. Sora quickly added, "She spells it with two K's. I met her a few days ago."

"Oh, I see."

Sora opened his mouth, just about to say something when he was glomped to the ground. "SORA!" the girl screamed.

"AHHHH!" Sora screamed. It was Kairi again! Would the girl ever learn to leave him the FUCK alone?! GAH! "Get away from me!" he screamed, pushing the girl off. He then began to run. "Come on, Riku, let's go!"

Kairi's eyes suddenly widened. Riku? What the…? But…but no one was there… And Riku had died…

Kairi was left there bewildered, sitting on the grass. She crossed her arms and legs, more determined than ever now to win Sora back!

Although, too bad she never realized she had never had him in the first place…

* * *

"Axel, this isn't exactly what I thought we would be doing," Roxas said, picking up another huge load of fireworks.

"Come on! We already had plenty of fun earlier. It's now time to send off fireworks! I found them at Ren-Ren and Kay-Kay's place! Besides, it's almost dark now."

Roxas arched an eyebrow at this. "Why would they have fireworks?" he asked.

Axel shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know, don't care."

Roxas smacked a hand to his forehead.

Once everything was set up, the fireworks were set ablaze, and the sky was lit with green, red, orange, and every other color of fireworks there was.

Roxas looked over at Axel, who was grinning very widely. It was slightly scary…by how much Axel was obsessed with fire _and_ fireworks.

* * *

Once Riku and Sora had made it home, running away from the redheaded demon, Sora plopped down onto his bed, and heaved a sigh.

"Today has been such a long day, Riku."

Riku threw himself back onto the bed, as well. "You're telling me. And with Kairi popping up everywhere, it was a little less enjoyable."

"Well…I certainly had a lot of fun today," Sora said, smiling dreamily. "But I am now very tired," he said, sleepiness already starting to overcome him. He let a small yawn escape his lips.

But Riku and Sora did not know, that Cloud was just heading to Sora's door at that very second, after hearing him come in. He opened the door, Sora jumped up as Cloud entered. "Sora, who were you talking to?" he asked.

But Sora just pretended to be asleep. It didn't work, of course. But it did make Cloud leave. As soon as the door shut, Sora let out a huge sigh. But in a few minutes, he was asleep, as was Riku. Riku's arms were wrapped around Sora's waist tightly, never wanting to let the brunet go.

And if Sora had learned _anything_ that day, it surely was to shut his mouth.

* * *

**1** - In Super Smash Bros. Melee, a character named Zelda is able to transform into her alter-ego…Sheik. Sheik is my best character. XD

**2** - Soakers are protection for your ice skating blades. You put them on after you've dried the blades off. This keeps them from rusting.

**3** - Guards are kind of like the opposite of soakers. You put them on your blades when you walk around in your skates, to keep the blades from getting dirty, or to walk outside on concrete. (If you walk outside without guards, you could ruin your skating blades.)

**4** - Just a funny little title I made up to make fun of horror films. xD

**5** - Shelly…sort of just popped into my head. And Justin is Silly Goose and the one that said the quote in chapter 3. XD

**-Edit Note:- **All right, there were plenty of mistakes, so I fixed them. I added/changed a couple sentences, too—but that was pretty much it. Well, I need to edit the sixth chapter soon. -.-

**Next chapter:** Sonja comes home drunk, Reno finds his fireworks are missing, and Sora begins to wonder if Riku's all a part of his imagination…

Well, see ya next time! Until then, please**review!**


	6. The Crazy See All

**Riku:** Hey there, this is Riku. Umm… Miss Star asked me to come here in her place. Since…she's busy at the moment. -Coughs- Ehh. Her excuse for taking so long to update is… -looks at paper- …because she got sick again. Hmph. What a lame excuse.

**Sora:** -Walks in- Riku! It is not a lame excuse! Miss Star felt very sick!

**Riku:** -Rolls eyes- C'mon! You know it's lame… And besides that, what's up with all this "Miss Star" crap? Why can't we just call her Skaterstar57?

**Sora:** -Gasps- Riku! How could you! Miss Star has been very kind to us…

**Riku:** Has she made us make out yet?

**Sora:** Well…no.

**Riku:** My point exactly.

**Sora:** Riku, just shut up and hurry up with the disclaimer.

**Summary:** Sora Hikari is a normal 16-year-old trying to survive through school, friends, crazed ex-girlfriends (or they _think_ they were his girlfriend) and stalkers. Or at least he thinks he is normal…

**Disclaimer: (Riku)**_Miss Star_ (yuck) does not own me or Sora (thank God), or Kingdom Hearts, or any of the other characters used in this story. Well, except for Sonja…

**-Edit Note:- (Sora) **Miss Star would like to say: (Wow…this is a pretty short chapter. o-O I started to make them shorter, because I thought people didn't like long chapters…but that's not true. :) Besides, I prefer longer chapters—so I'm going to add to this some and make it longer. ;) )

**Warning: (Riku)** Miss Star has "told" me this fic will contain **yaoi**(boyxboy love), and **language**. I see the language…but Sora and I are honestly not making out enough for my liking. I mean, we haven't even kissed _**once**_ yet!

**Reviews: (Sora)** Miss Star would also like to thank all her wonderful readers/reviewers. She loves you all.

**Riku:** …And she sucks.

**Sora:** Riku! -Sighs- Ah, well…on with the story!

* * *

I'll Be There for You - Chapter 6. The Crazy See All

-o-

"_One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know_." -- **Capt. Spaulding (Groucho Marx) -- "Animal Crackers"**

* * *

Blink.

Blink.

Open eyes.

Close eyes.

Sora opened his eyes, morning finally setting in. He let his eyes slip closed again. It was so peaceful without his mother here to wake him up so rudely. Cloud would always be so gentle, but Sora did not get a peaceful wake up call that morning. He got quite the opposite, actually.

Something suddenly jumped in front of Sora, yelling at him. He screamed, pulling the sheets all around his body, pulling his head inside. He felt like he was about to suffocate after a while, and so he finally emerged after a few moments of silence, poking his head out. He glanced around the room. He then glared at the culprit, who was just standing there smirking. Oh, he was going to kill him!

"ROOOOOXAAASSS! You are **DEAD**!" Sora attempted to jump out of his bed, but alas, fell flat on his face, for the sheets and blankets were still wrapped around his body tightly. _Stinkin' sheets_… he thought.

Roxas continued to laugh, as Cloud burst through the door a second later.

"What the **hell** are you doing?!" he demanded.

Surely it would seem that Cloud always ended up bursting into the room in the strangest situations. Now really, how many coincidences happened like this?

Roxas shuffled his feet, pretending to be innocent. Sora narrowed his eyes. He would get the little devil some day he swore it. "Uhh…I was just saying hello to my dear older brother Sora. Whom I love with all my heart!"

Cloud rolled his eyes. No one in his or her right mind would buy that crap. He began to tap his foot impatiently; Roxas began to laugh nervously. And while this was happening, Sora had taken off all the sheets wrapped around him, and he had completely forgotten Riku for the moment. Who was currently smirking, sitting on Sora's dresser.

Roxas took off in a sprint, running like mad to get away from his two insane brothers. Riku followed them, although, he was only walking slowly behind. He felt like he could take his time, after all. The three brothers had chased each other down the stairs, and were running all about the house. Leon was calmly reading the newspaper, taking a sip of his coffee, but as soon as he got tired of the nuisance, he said, "Stop it."

All three brothers stopped, whether they were in midair, or some really funky position, they stopped. It were as if someone had frozen them with ice… Riku was laughing from the top of the stairs, Sora frowned at this, wishing to give Riku an evil death glare. But Cloud would really think he was insane…if he randomly started glaring at the staircase. But, really now, some people _did_ think the stairs were evil. Such as Sonja and Selphie—for instance. But then again, Selphie thought milkshakes were evil and could talk…

But once the brothers had finally moved once again, the door burst open, a hiccup was heard, and then a slurred voice said, "Hello, my lovely children! What a fine day it is, ne?"

Everyone's heads, excluding Leon, snapped around to where the slurred voice had come from. What…was Captain Jack Sparrow here? No, that was indeed not the case. It was, in fact, their mother…

She ran over to Sora, nearly falling in the process. "How have my darling boys been since I've left?" She asked, but did not wait for an answer. She then hugged Roxas. "My little ducking! How is Axel?" She then let him go, and hugged Cloud. "My eldest son, you have returned to us petty people!" She sighed dramatically, and then hopped over to Leon, but before she made it to Leon, she looked up at the stairs. Riku was smiling down at her, and, she smiled back, waving.

Riku's eyes widened at this. Wh-what the…what the just happened? Sonja turned her head ahead, prepared to hug Leon, so Riku quickly ran away to Sora's room. "What the hell?!" he yelled allowed. Had…had Sonja actually _seen_ him? Or…or was she just really drunk, and waving at the stairs? That could very possibly be true, after all.

_But,_ he thought, _she looked right into my eyes…just like she always used to._ Riku shook his head, softly closing Sora's door. Riku was going to wait until Sora came, and when the door cracked open, he thought it was Sora, but in fact, it was the last person he wanted to see.

As Sonja burst into the room, he dove under the bed, trying to breath in and out as calmly as possible. Didn't really happen. Sonja looked around a bit, and then she finally called, "Riku! Riku, are you in here?"

Riku's breath hitched in his throat. So she_had_ seen him! Oh my… He was about to hyperventilate, but he knew it would blow his cover, so he kept his mouth shut tight. It was quite a hard feat, indeed.

She began to search around the room, insisting she had seen her Riku darling somewhere. But thankfully, Sora was his saving grace, for he came in the room, told his mom there were cookies downstairs, and she went for it. Were there really cookies downstairs? Sora did not know—but there were most likely were. He slammed the door shut, locking it, and began to breath in and out slowly. Riku remained under the bed. Sora seemed…very scary right now. Oh yes, he most certainl did.

But Riku screamed when Sora's head popped down under the bed. Sora crawled in with him, he then whispered, "What was **that** all about you?!"

"You tell me! (And don't call me 'you'!" Riku whispered back, just as harshly. "And _please_ explain to me why your mother was able to see me, thank you very much!"

"I have no friggin' idea whatsoever!" Sora spat. "How the hell should I know, anyway?! _You_, Mr. Smarty Pants, are the one who said I could only see you, anyway! You figure out this problem, or we are in a load of deep shit!" Sora really wasn't whispering anymore… He heard his mother knock on the door, begging to be let in. He grabbed Riku, as the two shot out from the bed.

Maybe…just maybe he could hide Riku, and then go back and convince his mother she saw nothing. She was drunk, after all. Yeah! He could convince her that she was merely drunk! She often imagined things were real when she was drunk. Once, it was a pink talking duck with green spots… YES! He was the brilliant master planner!

"C'mon!" He grabbed Riku's arm, dragging him to the window. He pushed Riku out, honestly not caring whether he landed on his feet or not. Riku would, anyway. He swore sometimes that Riku was a cat.

When Sora climbed down out his window, Riku glared at him. "Why did you push me?" he demanded.

But his demand remained unanswered, for Sora grabbed Riku by the arm, being sure to hide him some place where his mother would never find Riku.

They ran and ran and ran, until they were downtown. Riku kept bickering and snapping at Sora, complaining about why the hell did he have to go into hiding. Sora simply told him to shut up every time. Sora came to a screeching halt; Riku fell forwards slightly, but did not fall.

Riku looked around himself. Where the hell were they? "Why are we in an alley?" he complained.

"Because, Mom hates downtown, she'll never suspect that you're here," Sora explained.

Riku huffed, but did not say anything. Sora grabbed Riku's hand, noticing he blushed at the touch; he had no idea why. He and Riku…were friends. Best friends. He dragged Riku over to a trash can; Riku's expression grew horrified.

"Sora, there is **no** way I am going in that filthy thing."

"Too bad," Sora said.

Somehow, Riku did end up getting in the trash can— and Sora grinned at him and waved, before he slammed the trash can lid on. Sora wiped his hands, hearing grumbling and cursing from the trash can as he fled the scene. He chuckled slightly. Riku sure was fun to tease.

* * *

When Sora finally made it back to his house, he was completely out of breath, and hunched over. Roxas stared at him, crossing his arms. "Where have you been?" he demanded.

Sora paused. _Oh, shit…_ he thought. _Whatever will I do?! _He had forgotten to think of a brilliant excuse! He sure was in some mighty trouble, all right.

He attempted to walk past Roxas, acting as if he hadn't heard a word the dirty blond had said, but Roxas simply moved in front of Sora, not letting him pass. Sora narrowed his eyes at this, he moved the other way, once again…blocked! He growled at Roxas.

"Let me through!" he demanded.

"Not until you tell me where you've been!"

A moment later, their mother burst through. "SORA!" she called.

Roxas smirked. "Mother drunkest wants you."

Sora gave Roxas a look. "Ha ha. Very funny," he muttered. Roxas let him pass…but did make him trip. Sora growled, but went on to see Sonja. When he met her in the kitchen, she bent down to his ear and whispered to him.

"Where's Riku?"

Sora shook his head, taking a step back from her. "Mom…Riku's dead." He pretended to tear up, which, actually, was quite convincing.

Sonja shook her head. "I know he died, but…b-but I saw him—here. He was on the stairs…" she trailed off.

Sora turned away, pretending to cry. "Mother! How could you say such a thing! Riku died—how could you mock his death this way?"

Sonja narrowed his eyes. "Quit the drama, kid." She crossed her arms, looking down at Sora, who was beginning to panic. "We're going to go search for Riku. And that's final."

"B-but—Mom, perhaps you drank too much…"

But Sora had no more say in the subject.

* * *

Axel fiddled with his radio, extremely bored. Roxas hadn't come over today, nor had he called. He was now extremely bored without his Roxas. He had attempted to eat, but that only made him think of Roxas. He tried watching TV, but all the stations seemed to be about love. When he turned the radio on, it was a love song. He quickly turned it off.

But, he then heard a familiar ring. It was his cell phone. It was on the couch, and he jumped on it to get to it. He grinned and flipped it open.

"Hey, Axel—" Roxas started, but was immediately cut off.

"Roxas! I knew it was you! I want you to come over—"

"Shut up, Axel. I'm not done talking." Axel pouted; Roxas continued. "My mom came home today, and she's drunk, nonetheless. Mind if I stay at your place…at least for today?"

Axel did not answer, Roxas wondered if they had been cut off. "Hello? Axel, you there?"

Axel's mouth was very wide at the moment, practically touching the floor, once he had finally realized he had been staring at the wall for several minutes, he said, "GOODY! Hurry up and get over here!" He hung up.

Roxas shook his head, smiling. He then grabbed his backpack, and slowly opened his door. He looked left; he looked right. No sign of anyone. As he quietly exited, tiptoeing the entire time, he could've sworn he heard the Pink Panther theme.

He frowned. There was still no one as he began to trail down the stairs. He gasped and pressed his back against a wall, when he saw Sonja flee from the house, dragging Sora behind her. What was that all about?

But after a moment, Roxas resumed his sneaking out, and soon, was free of drunken mothers and troublesome brothers.

* * *

"Mom! I told you, Riku is DEAD! D-E-A-D! Okay, he can't just be prancing around, yelling, "I'm alive! I'm alive! Happy April Fool's!" can he?"

Sonja groaned at this, as she stopped running for a moment. "But ghosts exist, Sora."

Sora looked his mother up and down. Yes, he was sure now. His mother was crazy… And even if Sora didn't want to admit it, he was most likely crazy, too. He had his mother's blood, after all. Maybe…maybe all crazy people could see Riku! But wait…then why wouldn't Kairi have noticed Riku yesterday? That was funny…

Sora really wished he had taken Riku to the insane asylum now. Maybe he could get some answers. But as we speak, Riku is cramped into a dirty trash can, waiting to see his beloved Sora again. Oh, when will that ever be, if Sonja won't stop searching?!

Sonja suddenly turned to Sora. He jumped a little, surprised at how…demanding his mother could be. "Where did you and Riku always hang out?!"

"U-uh…uh…" But Sonja didn't wait for Sora to answer, she simply grabbed his hand, and ran off in any direction, being sure to find the silver-haired teen.

* * *

"Huh?" Reno furrowed his brows together. Where were…where were the…

"WHERE THE **HELL** ARE MY FIREWORKS?!" he demanded no one, since no one was there, obviously. He suddenly narrowed his eyes. What had Kay-Kay warned him about before? "Damn Axel," he muttered, shaking his head.

He ran out of their garage, and went over to Axel's house. He was so _dead_ it wasn't even funny. He knocked on Axel's door, demanding an explanation, but no one came. He began to pound on the door and kick and ring the doorbell…but still, no one came. Ohh! Axel could not run from him!

Axel had honestly asked for it, if I do say so myself. I mean, come now…Reno had been planning this party for quite some time, and the fireworks were the most important part, and honestly, you did not just go into someone's garage and steal their fireworks—or anything for that matter!

He attempted to open the door; surprisingly it was not locked. He ran through and went to the living room, but no Axel was there. His eyes narrowed further. Axel…would…_pay_! He looked around the other rooms downstairs—still, no Axel.

His frown deepened. Maybe…Axel was out…setting_off_ the fireworks! "Damn it all!" Reno said, stomping his right foot on the ground. He then turned to look up at the stairs. He had just heard a noise coming from there… Hmm…suspicious. He suddenly grinned widely. He ran up the stairs.

"You can't hide from the brilliant Reno!" he exclaimed, grinning much like Sonja. Okay, he needed to stop spending so much time with her and Cloud, or else he really may turn insane. But it was perhaps too late already.

Okay, so now he went to the room where the noise was coming from, and burst through the doors, triumphantly yelling, "Aha!" His grin was still intact, but he froze solid. He saw red hair…and he saw blond. He saw bare skin, and he saw…

His eyes widened to an incredible size, he felt like he wanted to move. He _knew_ he needed to move, but somehow, he was frozen, as if some evil witch had put a spell on him…or something. He could not move, and the same went for Roxas and Axel, until Roxas finally dove under the sheets, yelling, "Reno! What the **hell** are you doing here?!"

Axel, himself, looked just about as shocked. Next thing that happened: Reno finally got his legs to move, and ran; ran for his life.

When he made it back, he breathed in and out, as he pinned himself against the door he had just slammed. Kadaj glided down the stairs and stared at Reno for a long moment. As he glided off to the kitchen, (did he walk or float?) he said, "What the hell happened this time?"

Reno did not answer, he was still trying to comprehend everything that had happened. He was so close to Cloud, Roxas, Sora, and Sonja…they all felt like his own family now. It felt…like he had just seen his little brother in bed…with the man who had stolen his fireworks. The bastard. Reno would get Axel—he swore it. Hey, they had been friends…but stealing his fireworks (he still had no proof, but who else would steal them…) was one thing, but to…to do that…to Roxas…!

Kadaj stopped his floating, and stared at Reno again. Reno sank down to the ground. Kadaj shook his head, and continued to glide to the kitchen.

* * *

Riku tapped his fingers on his knees. He was tall. Very tall. Taller than Sora. Much taller. Sora would easily fit in this dumb can. But was Sora in here? _Nooo,_ Riku thought. _**I**__ am the freaking one stuck in here! What did I ever do to deserve this? Nothing, I tell ya, NOTHING!_

Riku narrowed his eyes, glaring at the inside of the trash can. If he stared at it just long enough, maybe he would gain heat vision like Superman and free himself of his prison. Yeah…heat vision.

But sadly, Riku was no alien, nor did he have superpowers, and he was stuck in the cramped trash can.

_Ah, shit,_ he thought.

His foot had just fallen asleep.

"I'm…in…Hell!" he groaned.

* * *

Sora was beginning to panic. They had looked…everywhere. Well, nearly everywhere. And Sora's feet were beginning to hurt, too. But Sonja had now dragged Sora downtown, God knows why. She hated it down there… Maybe it's because they had already searched everywhere else. Hmm. That could have been it, couldn't it?

Well, anyway, thankfully she hadn't searched where he had Riku yet, or else Sora would be in some deep shi—

"Sora, honey, let's look over here!" She grabbed his arm, dragging him down an alley.

_Oh no,_ Sora thought, his eyes going wide. Anywhere but there!

"Uhh…Mother, let's go this wa—" But he was cut off.

"No! I can sense it, Riku's here, right here."

Little beads of seat began to roll down Sora's face. _Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit,_ he repeated over and over in his head. How did she know he was here? Was she psychic?! He was in _so_ much trouble it wasn't even funny. He…he needed help. Seriously.

His mother then began looking everywhere in the alley, Sora protesting every moment. Soon, she grabbed him, covering his mouth with her hands. She dragged him around, searching, until there was only one place left: the trash cans. And one had Riku in it. Sora screamed, his eyes going wide, but it came out muffled, for Sonja was still covering his mouth.

She finally let go, when she realized the trash cans were the only place she hadn't looked here. She began to take off the lids of every one of them, and when she finally got to the last one, Sora made one last feeble attempt to stop her…it failed.

She lifted the lid, grinning, 99.9 (percent) sure Riku was in there. Sora placed his head in his hands, groaning. Knowing the end was surely near…

"He isn't here," she said, frowning.

Sora's ears perked up at this. He stood, dusting the dirt off his shirt. Maybe his mother just didn't see Riku this time. He bent down to look himself, and indeed, there was no Riku, no one was there at all.

Sora let out a sigh of relief; thankful that his mother may think she's going insane after all. (Wait, she already is insane.) But then…it hit him. Riku…wasn't here? He gulped. Then where _was_ he? Sora was panicking on the inside, but attempted to stay calm on the outside. He couldn't let Sonja get any more suspicious about Riku…

Sonja wanted to search a few more places, before they'd head home. Sora's stomach growled. He hadn't had lunch, he had only had breakfast, and soon it would even be time for dinner. But Sonja did not care, once she started something, she wouldn't drop it until it was finished. And that's what worried Sora the most—wait, no it didn't. What worried him the most was the fact that Riku wasn't here.

* * *

Reno grumbled as he got in his car and slammed the door shut. He continued to grumble as he drove all the way to the fireworks store. He had managed to drag Kadaj along with him, even though Kadaj would rather be cleaning the house at the moment… Yes, Kadaj _was_ a clean freak.

Normally, Kadaj would enjoy teasing Reno at this moment, but right now, he remained silent. He was…actually slightly scared of Reno right now, believe it or not. He had never seen Reno this upset before, and that was a fact. And usually, even when Reno was upset, he got over it in less then five minutes. It had now been about an hour.

When they finally arrived, Reno ripped the keys out, exited the car, and slammed the door shut, stomping off toward the entrance. Kadaj glanced nervously at Reno's car window. He was surprised that the glass hadn't shattered. _You are one lucky car, _he told the car in thought.

But then he didn't want to leave Reno alone with all the people in the store, that could be dangerous. So he quickly scrambled off after him, entering the store.

Reno had grabbed a cart, and was beginning to get all of the fireworks he had bought before, plus more. Kadaj shook his head. Why did they have to have a party, anyway? He didn't really see the point. It just meant more work, and more things to clean up…

Hold that thought. Maybe a party wouldn't be so bad, after all.

* * *

Sora let out a small yawn, as he trailed into the house after his mother. He had now forgotten about Riku momentarily, for his stomach was very angry with him, and he was very exhausted, after searching practically the entire area of Destiny Island. He let out another yawn. Today had most certainly been a long day.

He trudged to the kitchen, glancing at Cloud watching TV, a sleeping Leon next to him, who had his arms wrapped around Cloud's waist. Cloud's eyes also slowly slipped closed, but Sora ignored the sugary sweet scene, as his stomach growled at him. Where was Sonja? He did not care. He needed food. His stomach was very important to him, after all.

Once he made it to the kitchen, he practically ate every thing inside. He had only eaten a little bit of breakfast before he had been dragged out by Sonja, and he had missed lunch and dinner entirely, so, you can only imagine his hunger…especially for Sora.

He patted his stomach, when he finally felt full, and then trudged up the stairs, content on taking a long nap. But then, suddenly, the memory of earlier came crashing down on him. No Riku. Riku was not in the trash can. Riku was missing. As quick as lightning, he ran out of the house again, absolutely confident that he would find Riku, no matter what.

But, as he exited his house, he got glomped by a redhead. He growled at her, pushing her off of him.

"Not now, Kairi! I gotta go find him!" And then he took off like a light.

She narrowed her eyes and frowned at Sora's retreating form. Who was he talking about? Who was _him_? Was…was **him** really **Riku**? She laughed to herself. Yeah right. Riku was dead—even_ she_ knew that.

She stood up, brushing the dirt off of her brand new pink dress. She then skipped away to the mall, content on buying her Sora a gift to show how much she cared for him. And she knew she had better hurry, because the mall was about to close.

* * *

When Sora returned home, it was 2:00 AM, and he hadn't found Riku anywhere. He was very discouraged. Maybe…maybe he and his mother had dreamed Riku up entirely. Maybe he was never here in the first place, and Sora was simply delusional. That thought made Sora very disheartened. And it terrified him. He trembled. Perhaps he really was out of his mind.

Sonja was in her bed, Cloud and Leon were sleeping (or were they?) and Roxas was not home. Well, heck, he wasn't home half of the time, anyway. Boy howdy day, what a great day this had been. Sora hung his arms, as he slowly trudged up the stairs. He was…very exhausted. And very heartbroken.

He actually had never seen Riku; he now knew it. But…how could he explain some things? Like—how had he survived that fall…unless Riku had been there to save him?

"Maybe I wasn't there at all," Sora said, all hope seemed lost now. "Or perhaps I never fell."

The feeling was so odd. It was a very strange feeling. He had never felt this way before in his life. Moisture began to gather at his eyes. He wiped at his blue eyes with the back of his had and sniffled.

He thought…he thought Riku was here. But he had looked everywhere…even Secret Place. How could…how could Riku not be anywhere? He had hidden in that trash can—it had seemed so real. But now…

He walked down the hall, just wanting to get to his room and sleep. He was very sad and just wanted to forget the whole thing now. He actually…wanted to forget Riku ever existed. Yes, he was turning angsty as we speak, but Sora could not help it. He had had some hope. If Riku—if Riku had been able to complete that mission, he would have returned to Earth as a human. And that had made Sora very exultant.

He could possibly have his best friend back, but now that hope was shattered. And he had hoped…maybe he could finally tell Riku how he felt, somehow, some day. Why had he not told him before? He would get nervous, and chicken out. But it would not have done any good now, right? Riku was still dead. And fucking angels probably did not even exist. Sora grabbed his doorknob, and slowly twisted it open. He just…wanted sweet sleep. He wanted to close his eyes and wish everything away.

That…felt like the best thing.

But as soon as he opened the door, he got glomped to the ground as his eyes closed tight. "Leave me alone, Kairi! How the hell did you get into my room!?" he demanded, his eyes still closed.

"What are you talking about?"

That was not…Kairi's voice.

* * *

**Riku:** We would like to thank you—

**Miss Star:** -Walks in- Whew! That sure was a fire.

**Riku:** -Raises eyebrow- Axel had you out in the backyard making another fire…didn't he?

**Axel:** -Walks in and grabs Miss Star- Miss Star! Vexen's trying to put out my fire with his ice! Help me!

**Miss Star:** -Sighs- Oh well. I'll come… But before I go, I want to thank you all for reading and for all the people that reviewed. You all are awesome. And…I would like it even more if you gave me more **lovely reviews** to read! Ahhh! -Gets dragged out by Axel-

**Riku:** -Shakes head- Ah well. See ya next time…I guess.

**-Edit Note:- **Yay! I added two pages to this. :) It's now longer. XD You know…this chapter didn't have too many spelling/grammar mistakes actually. I was surprised. Perhaps I was getting better. Haha. But my writing still needs a lot of work. Anyway, I'm almost done with editing the chapters, and then that means a new chappy! Yay! –Cheers-

**Next chapter: (Riku)** Pssh. It was a cliffhanger. Do you _really_ expect this? You were? Well, too bad.


	7. If You Leave

Yo! Look who's just come back from the dead… -drum roll-…Skaterstar57! Woo, thanks for all the reviews people:) Made me so happy and made me write this chapter sooner. Well, sorry about the really late update, though. Life for me has been chaotic lately. I have two skating competitions coming up, two skating test sessions, and the Christmas ice show. So…yeah, that's a lot to handle with everything else going on in my life.

Also, my family's trying to move. So we have to get everything in our house fixed up (X-X). Geez, as I even type this, my hands are covered in dried paint. XD Oh, and I see a lot of people are wondering why Sonja's able to see Riku. All in good time, my people, all in good time. xD But don't worry, it is part of the plot.

Well, I think that's it. Sorry for all the rambling up there. O-O'

**Summary:** Sora Hikari is a normal 16-year-old trying to survive through school, friends, crazed ex-girlfriends (or they _think_ they were his girlfriend) and stalkers. Or at least he thinks he is normal…

**Disclaimer:** Pssh. There's no yaoi in Kingdom Hearts…and yet—you think I _**own**_ it? Hah! Oh, and I also don't own the song used in this chapter, "If You Leave". I suppose you can guess where the title came from, eh? XD

**Warning:** This fic will contain **yaoi** (boyxboy love). If you do not care for boyxboy love, I suggest you leave. This fic will also contain **language**.

**Reviews:** Much love to you all! Wow…I got so many reviews. Made me so happy. XD Actually, it made this update come sooner than I thought it would, even though it's still really late. I know, things have been kinda…hectic for me lately. :(

**-Edit Note:- **Ooh! I really like this chapter. It's shorter, too. So I may add a bit to it!

**A/N:** You know…I've noticed my chapters have been getting shorter lately. O-o Heh. I'm gonna have to fix that. xD

Okay, on with the new chapter already!

* * *

I'll Be There for You - Chapter 7. If You Leave

-o-

"_Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile._" --**Albert Einstein**

* * *

Sora grabbed his doorknob, and slowly twisted it open. He just…wanted sweet sleep.

But as soon as he opened the door, he got glomped to the ground as his eyes closed tight. "Leave me alone, Kairi! How the hell did you get into my room?!" he demanded, his eyes still closed.

"What are you talking about?"

That was not…Kairi's voice.

Sora's tear-filled eyes snapped open. W-was…this real or just his imagination? He looked up into Riku's aqua orbs—he then knew that it had to be real.

"Riku!" he cried, throwing his arms around the older teen's neck. "I-I…I thought maybe you were just my imagination," he said, pulling away from Riku so he could look at him again. He then pinched his cheek. He shook his head, and then stared at Riku again. "You…you _are_ real, aren't you, Riku?"

Riku just stared at Sora for a long moment, finally snapping out of it, he shook his head, saying, "I'm as real as you are, Sora." He bent down closer to Sora, and Sora immediately felt his face heat up. What…what was Riku doing?

When Riku was close enough so that their noses were touching, he let his hot breath tickle Sora's face. He rubbed their noses together and said, "And I'll always be there for you." And then…and then Riku's mouth moved much closer to Sora's. Sora felt his blush deepen, and his heart began to pound out of his chest. Was this…was this really happening?

Their lips were just about to touch, and Sora closed his eyes, afraid of what might happen next. Riku tilted his head, and kissed Sora's left cheek, instead of his lips.

Sora's eyes snapped open. Okay… He had **not** expected that… Oh well. He was still blushing like mad, and Riku smirked as he pulled away from Sora.

"Come on, it's late. You've made me stay up way past my bedtime," Riku said, standing up and offering a hand to Sora. Sora took the offered hand, smiling.

"I'm so glad you're real," Sora said as he got under his covers.

"Me too."

* * *

Sora stretched, groaning. What time was it…? Shouldn't Sonja have woken him up by now? He slowly opened his eyes, glancing over at the clock. Hmph. It was actually kind of early… He had so much trouble waking up when he goes to bed on time—it is rather funny that he gets up early when he goes to bed late…

Sora stretched again, letting a yawn escape his lips. He glanced down, thankful to see the arms wrapped around his waist. Thank goodness…Riku really _was_ real. He had been so worried.

Sora turned over to watch Riku sleeping. He saw his chest rise and fall slowly, and could hear his even breathing. It was so calming… Sora brushed back a strand of silver hair that had fallen in Riku's face. Sora smiled. He really looked like an angel right now.

"Riku…" Sora murmured.

Riku wrapped his arms tighter around Sora's waist, Sora gulped at this. Okay…he had kind of wanted to go get something to eat. But he didn't really want to disturb Riku. Great… What was he supposed to do **now**?

Sora pursed his lips together, trying to think of what to do. But his mind drew a blank. He sighed. He supposed he'd just have to wake Riku up.

"Riku," Sora quietly whispered. He knew it was too quiet to wake Riku up…but hey, he could try, right?

Sora bit his lip. "Riku," he said, slightly louder. Sora whined quietly. This soooo sucked. Yeah, sure, it seemed like he was crazy to want to leave this position, but…he was _really_ hungry. It wasn't his fault he had such a big appetite. Yes, it was Sonja's fault. How that made any sense, Sora did not know.

Sora opened his mouth, about to say something, when Riku suddenly mumbled, "Sora, no…no! I don't wanna be a dancing banana!"

Sora closed his mouth shut, trying not to laugh. But he did, thank goodness it was muffled, though. Sora had never heard Riku talk in his sleep before… This was funny.

Riku swatted a hand towards Sora, and then wrapped his arms around the brunette's neck, bringing him closer towards his chest.

_Okay,_ Sora thought, _This just got __**really**__ awkward._

"Riku," Sora said, "it's time to get up."

"I told you already, no more dancin' bananas! And on that note, no singin' carrots, either!"

Sora chuckled. That must have been some dream Riku was having…

Sora touched Riku's shoulder, attempting to stir him out of his dream. "Riku," he said.

But at this, Riku said, "Sora! Watch out for the flying cauliflower!" He grabbed Sora, and rolled off the bed with him. Sora's eyes widened as they hit the ground with a loud thud.

Sora groaned. "Riku," he whined. But Sora now noticed that Riku's arms were no longer attached to him. He let out a small sigh of relief. Yes, he missed Riku's warmth, but right now…it was time for **FOOD**!!

Sora quickly dashed out of the room, prepared to eat Sonja out of house and home.

As soon as Sora had left, a certain silver-haired boy sat up, smirking. "Dancing bananas, my foot." He shook his head and stood up.

* * *

Later that day, Sora was relaxing in his room; Riku was looking out the window.

"Hey…" Riku said.

"What?"

"Wanna go to the island today? It would be fun."

Sora shrugged his shoulders, catching his baseball after he threw it up in the air. "Sure, if you want to."

Riku grinned. "Great! You head on over, I'll be there in a bit, okay? I have to take care of something first."

"What?" Sora asked, curiously.

Riku waited a bit before answering. "Uhh…I'll just meet you there, 'kay?"

Sora frowned. "Okay…"

Riku got up and headed to the door, and just before he completely slipped out of sight, he winked, saying, "It's a date."

Sora instantly blushed, and rubbed at his cheeks. Thank God Riku had left…

* * *

Once Riku was out of sight, he gasped for air. He felt the constant pain growing in his back. He growled. "I need more time," he hissed. He collapsed down to the floor in pain. He held onto his sides with his hand. His shirt was ripped as his wings sprouted from his back. He hissed at the pain.

His back was bleeding slightly. He lifted his head, and noticed several feathers, maybe even a dozen, had fallen around him. His eyes widened at the sight. The feathers were drenched in blood. _Wow,_ he thought. _Just great._

He roughly stood up and walked further down the dark alley. He swayed as he did so. There was broken glass back there. He bent down and looked at his reflection. He growled at himself. He then turned around to look at his wings. Yes, blood was falling down his back, and he could see all the blank spaces where several feathers were now missing.

Riku turned around and glanced down at himself again. His reflection made him sick. He growled, and stamped on the already broken glass. It crunched beneath his foot. He suddenly felt a high-pitched sound ringing inside his head, as he felt the pain in his back begin to go away. His wings slowly went back inside his back. He collapsed down onto the floor.

Riku's breath was ragged and sweat trailed down his forehead. It felt like he was dying…

* * *

Sora idly swung his legs back and forth while he waited for Riku on a paopu tree. He had now waited fifteen minutes… He wondered what could take Riku so long. But just at that thought, Sora saw the silver-haired boy walking toward him. Sora smiled and waved as he hopped off the tree.

"Riku!" Sora called, running up to the older boy. "What took you so long?"

When Riku finally reached Sora, he took in a deep breath and pulled the brunet in for a hug. He rested his chin on the younger boy's shoulder. "I'm sorry I'm late," he apologized. "It just...took longer than I expected."

"What?" Sora questioned.

Riku inhaled sharply. "I-I…can't tell you that."

Sora pouted. "Why not?"

Riku just pulled Sora further into the embrace. "I'm sorry," he repeated.

Sora's blue eyes darted back and forth. What…was going on?

* * *

Later, Riku and Sora had attempted dueling once more. Of course…Riku won. (When did he _not_ win?) But he looked more exhausted this time. That worried Sora. And soon Sora found that while they were talking, Riku had fallen asleep. Sora frowned at this. Riku seemed so tired today… He had been so full of energy before…

_Maybe he just burned out,_ Sora thought. _Not__**everyone**__ is as hyper as Selphie._ Sora smiled softly as he cupped the older boy's cheek.

"I love you," Sora whispered, placing a gentle kiss on Riku's forehead. Sora cuddled up next to Riku, and decided to take a little nap himself. But Sora didn't seem to be able to get comfortable. Maybe it was because…he had gotten so used to Riku having his arms wrapped around his waist when he slept… It felt odd without the embrace.

But as Sora lay there thinking, he squeaked when he was taken in Riku's arms. Sora looked up at Riku's eyes, they were still closed; he was asleep. Sora finally let out the breath he had been holding in. He was nervous that Riku had been awake, because if he were awake, then maybe he would have heard what he had said to him…

* * *

"Sora," came a quiet voice.

Sora mumbled something, and turned over on his side.

"Sora," came the voice again, slightly louder.

"Not now, Mom. I'm tired," Sora said, swatting a hand at the nuisance.

The person narrowed their eyes, and then shouted, "Sora, get the **fuck** up!"

As you can guess, Sora shot up like a light. "Where's the fire?!"

The other person chuckled. "We're on the island, you dope. There's no fire."

Sora rubbed at his eyes; it was Riku who had woken him up. Hmph. He could have been gentler… He looked around; it was already the nighttime. He wondered what time it was.

"What is it?" Sora asked, wondering why Riku had woken him out of his nap. He had been enjoying it...

Riku did not answer him. Instead he stood up, grabbing Sora's hand in the process, helping the brunet up. Sora furrowed his brows together. What was Riku doing…?

Riku brought the brunet in for a hug, and gently swayed them back and forth. He then took a step to his right, and the two began to dance, Sora resting his head on Riku's chest. Sora breathed in deeply, melting into the embrace.

"Close your eyes," Riku said.

"Wh-why?"

"Close you eyes," Riku repeated.

Sora did so, still wondering what was up with Riku…

"Okay," Riku said. "Now get on top of my feet."

Sora opened his mouth, prepared to question Riku on this, but shut it, and did as he was instructed.

After a moment of waiting, Sora said, "Can I open my eyes now?"

There was a pause. "Yes," finally came.

Sora opened his eyes, and just then, they widened. Riku's shirt was off, and his white wings were extended beautifully. His face heated up at the image of a shirtless Riku. He glanced down nervously. "R-Riku…wh-what are…"

"Shh," Riku said, pulling the brunet closer. They continued to float in the air, Riku flying higher and higher. The stars were just beginning to come out, well, only one was, actually. And Sora took his chance with it.

_Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might have the wish I wish tonight. I wish…that I would be able to tell Riku my true feelings, and that he could stay here on Earth, and we would always be happy._

Sora breathed in deeply, noting that he smelled a certain scent. It smelled like Riku…but it also smelled like blood… That puzzled Sora. A lot. But he pushed the thought away, and leaned into Riku further. Riku wrapped his arms around Sora's waist, and Sora then wrapped his arms around Riku's neck.

Sora looked around at everything beneath them; it was so marvelous. The lights were bright, and the moon and several stars were shining down on them. It really was a beautiful sight. Sora breathed in deeply, and closed his eyes. He wished this moment could last forever.

But we all know that they cannot, and eventually they landed back down on the ground, right close to Sora's house. Riku and Sora then entered the house, and into Sora's room. Riku was standing by the door, and Sora was just about to get in his bed, but Riku suddenly said something.

"I can't sleep with you tonight, Sora."

Sora frowned deeply. "Why?" he asked, saddened.

"It's a secret," Riku said.

"I love secrets!" Sora said, his eyes now lighting up.

Riku grinned. He walked back over to Sora and ruffled his hair. "I'm glad you do, Sora." He smiled down at the brunet softly. "I'll see you soon, all right?"

"All right," Sora said, nodding his head.

With that, Riku was out of the door, very quickly, in fact. Sora wondered what was the matter with Riku… He had been…acting _very_ strange today.

* * *

"Damn it!" the silver-haired boy yelled in frustration, punching the wall. He was about to punch it a second time, but pursed his lips, and slowly dropped his hand. He inhaled, and then exhaled. Okay…he needed to get a hold on his feelings._That_ was why he couldn't sleep with Sora tonight. He was worried he would molest him…or something.

Riku had **always** loved Sora as a friend…but he was wondering... He was wondering if he loved him in another way. An even deeper way. He just was not sure yet.

Of course he had had the crush on Sora, not that long before he died. But…the feelings were stronger now. Yes, Sora was a very good-looking boy, and there was no denying that. But…

"Argh!" Riku groaned. He suddenly felt the pain in his head again, and his wings broke free, more feathers falling. "What, am I fallen angel now?!" he yelled at no one in particular. Riku was now sweating again. He wondered what the hell was wrong with him. Was it because he wasn't supposed to be on Earth that long? Was he about to be sent back up to Heaven, missing his brunette angel forever? He could not stand that. He would go crazy, that was for sure.

He loved Sora's smile, he loved how he'd pout and how he'd cock his head in confusion. He loved his grins, his laughter; oh, his laugh was beautiful. He loved his eyes, he loved his hair, and most of all, he loved Sora's heart and soul…

Riku felt the tears already start to well up in his eyes. He put his head in his hands, as the tears slowly began to fall. He gripped his head, the headache beginning to slowly go away.

"I…I love you. I love you so much."

* * *

The next morning, Sora awoke without Riku. Sora did not freak out; he now knew for sure that Riku was real. He had to be. But…he was slightly worried. Riku said he would be back soon. But…how soon did he mean exactly?

After Sora took a shower and got dressed, he headed down the stairs. There he saw an ecstatic Reno and Sonja, and a very bored looking Kadaj. Sora smiled at this. What were they up to?

When Sonja spotted Sora, she waved to him, jumping up from the couch. "Sora dear, how did you sleep? And where did you go? Were you hanging out with your friends? Did Kairi kidnap you again? Did Selphie get you high on sugar and attempted to take over the world?!" Amazingly, she said all this in about five seconds.

Sora blinked, trying to register even the smallest bit of what she had just said. He shook his head. "I was hanging out with Wakka and Tidus."

Sonja knitted her brows together, pulling Sora aside from Reno and Kadaj. "Or were you hanging out with _him_?"

"Mom," Sora said, "you know Riku's dead. You were drunk remember? You had the huge hangover and Cloud made breakfast instead."

Sonja sighed. "Maybe…maybe you're right. I do tend to…get very weird when I am drunk."

Sora gave his mother a look. "You're always weird, Mom."

Sonja giggled. "And so are you!" She winked as she headed back over to Reno and Kadaj, who seemed to be having a discussion about fireworks…conga drums…and stupid Axel… Sora smirked at that. And as he turned around, he rammed into something. He screamed, falling down to the ground.

"Sora!" said several voices at once.

Sora rubbed his head, sitting up. He looked up, and found he was staring into aquamarine. He fell backwards again, this time fainting. The aquamarine-eyed boy smirked, tsking, and heading to the kitchen for a bucket of water…

Reno had laid down Sora on the couch, and he and Kadaj and Sonja were in the kitchen, trying to figure out what was wrong with Sora. Meanwhile, the silver-haired boy had splashed the brunet with the water, he jolted upwards.

"Whoseits?!" he yelled.

Riku furrowed his brows together. Sora looked up at the silver-haired boy. His face immediately lit up. "Riku!" he said, hugging the boy.

Reno poked his head out from the kitchen. "Sora! You're back."

Sora coughed, trying to ignore Riku for a moment. "S-sorry 'bout that. I guess I…haven't been really getting enough sleep lately." He rubbed the back of his head.

"S'okay," Reno said, walking back over to Sora. He placed a hand on Sora's forehead. "Are you sure you're all right? You're burning up."

Sora glanced behind Reno. In the kitchen Sonja and Kadaj were currently fighting about…flamingos with sunglasses and aloha printed shirts. Great. He then looked at Reno again. "Never better," he said. Sora looked to his right to see Riku making a funny face at him, Sora chuckled slightly, looking straight at Riku.

"What's so funny?" Reno asked as he turned around to see what Sora was looking at. There was nothing there. He frowned.

"U-uh…uhh…I gotta go! Bye! Love you, Ren-Ren!" With that, Sora jolted upwards from the couch, and dashed out of the house at the speed of light. Riku quickly followed him, not going to take his chances with Sonja or anyone else again for that matter…

* * *

_If you leave, don_'_t leave now_

_Please don_'_t take my heart away_

_Promise me just one more night_

_Then we_'_ll go our separate ways_

The two friends had now stopped their running, completely out of breath. Sora wondered if they had run a mile or more. Sheesh, why did they run so far? At first it seemed like they were just running to get away from Sonja—but then it turned into a damn race.

Riku turned to Sora, grinning. "On my way over here, I saw that the carnival is here. You wanna go?"

Sora grinned very widely. "Of course I would! I'd love to go with you, Riku!" Sora beamed brightly.

Riku took in a deep breath, swallowing his heart back down that had just jumped up to his throat. He grabbed Sora's hand. "Let's go!"

_With hours left time on our sides _

_Now it_'_s fading fast_

_Every second, every moment_

_We_'_ve got to—we_'_ve gotta make it last_

The two friends had now made it to the carnival. Sora's stomach growled loudly, so first they decided to eat. (He had dashed out before he could eat breakfast, after all.) Oh, he blamed it on Sonja, his hunger, that is. Oh, boy…he was blaming Sonja for practically everything now, eh?

Of course, he ate a funnel cake, a pretzel, popcorn, cotton candy, French fries with cheese on them…practically all sorts of sweets and junk food there. Riku just got cotton candy.

After they finished eating, Sora grabbed Riku's hand, heading toward the Ferris wheel. "Riku, come on! I **LOVE** this ride!" he said, grinning widely.

They made it over to the line for the ride, Sora grinning the entire time, glancing up at Riku every few seconds. Riku would always smile back down at him. Sora seemed so excited, and it made Riku very happy.

Finally, their time to go on the Ferris wheel had come, and they entered their little compartment, all by themselves. Sora continued to hold Riku's hand the entire time, never letting go. Riku blinked as Sora looked out the window, as the ride began to move. Sora let go of Riku's hand for a moment, trying to look closer at the amazing sight as they went higher and higher.

_I touch you once I touch you twice_

_I won'_'_t let go at any price_

_I need you now like I needed you then_

_You always said we_'_d still be friends someday_

Riku bit his lip, raising his hand to touch Sora's shoulder. He pulled it back, when Sora jumped up. "Look, Riku! It's SO amazing when we're up this high!"

Riku nodded his head, swallowing hard. "Y-yeah," he said, noticing that it felt much hotter in here suddenly… Riku shook his head. What the hell was he _doing_?! He reached a hand out, this time touching Sora. Sora slowly turned around to Riku, forgetting the view for just a moment.

"What is it, Riku?" Sora asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Uh…I-I—" Riku was at a loss for words. He honestly did not know what to say. _Riku!_ Riku thought. _What the__**hell**__ are you doing?! You're losing your cool, man. Come on…so what if Sora's cute and hot and sexy all rolled into one… You've gotta get it together!_

Sora had now turned back to look at the view, ignoring Riku's odd behavior. With a jolt of encouragement, Riku pulled Sora away from the window, and pulled him into a hug.

_If you leave I won't cry_

_I won_'_t waste one single day_

_But if you leave don_'_t look back_

_I_'_ll be running the other way_

"R-Riku?" Sora said, feeling very odd that Riku was resting his head on his shoulder.

But the next thing he knew, Riku was tickling him…relentlessly. Sora laughed out loud at the attack, Riku grinned in triumph, tickling Sora's sides.

"Haha. I gotcha now, Sora!"

"R-Riku! St-stop that!" Sora pleaded, feeling like he was about to burst any second. But Riku did not stop—instead, the Ferris Wheel did, stopping right at the very top of the ride. Riku fell out of his seat onto the ground.

"Ugh, my head," he complained, rubbing his sore head.

"That's what you get for tickling me, and also for not wearing your seat belt," Sora said, grinning in triumph. He looked out the window again. It was astounding…

Riku stayed on the floor, grumbling something under his breath. When the Ferris wheel began to move again, he got back in his seat, snapped on his seat belt, and stared at Sora.

_Five years __**(1) **__went under the bridge_

_Like time was standing still_

_Heaven knows what happens now_

_You'_'_ve got to—you_'_ve gotta say you will_

The ride finally stopped, and Riku and Sora exited, Sora smiling brightly, and Riku with a blank expression. He was lost in thought. A very deep thought. What else could his thoughts be about? Of course, they were about Sora.

Sora grabbed Riku's hand, dragging him to other rides and events. Riku could only find himself looking at the brunet, though. Everything they did, everything that happened, everything was connected to Sora, somehow, no matter what.

"Riku!" Sora yelled, pointing to something straight ahead. Riku turned his head from staring at Sora, to see what he was looking at. "I wanna play that game!"

Ah, it was one of those games where you had to knock down all the milk bottles with a baseball. Those things were usually rigged…

"You sure?" Riku said, staring down at Sora.

Sora sighed. "Riku, I have my own money, it's not like you can stop me."

"_Fine_," Riku said. "Go ahead. " He sat down on a bench, smirking at Sora, waiting for him to "win".

Sora huffed, narrowing his eyes. He stomped over to the counter, slammed some money down, and picked up his first ball, getting ready to aim. He closed his left eye, and threw the ball as hard as he could. It hit the bottles, but didn't knock off a single one.

_I touch you once I touch you twice_

_I won_'_t let go at any price_

_I need you now like I needed you then_

_You always said we_'_d meet again_

Sora's head fell, but he still had four baseballs left. He just wondered why it didn't knock over any of the bottles… He thought he had hit them very hard. He picked up another, getting ready to aim again.

Riku's eyes narrowed, looking at the man behind the counter, who was currently smirking. "I knew it was rigged all along," Riku said, standing up from the bench. He walked over, getting a closer look. Yes, they were definitely glued together. The little cheater.

Riku glanced back up at Sora; he hit the bottles every time, but could never knock off a single one. He now only had two baseballs left, and was just about to throw his next one. Riku smirked, an idea suddenly popping up in his head.

As Sora aimed his last baseball, his heart fell, he had wanted to get a stuffed animal, but now, seeing this, he obviously would not win. Sora threw the ball, closing his eyes afterward, prepared for it to not knock off any bottles. But he was quite shocked to hear the sound of something hitting the ground. He opened his eyes. All the milk bottles were lying on the ground.

_I touch you once I touch you twice_

_I won_'_t let go at any price_

_I need you now like I needed you then_

_You always said we_'_d still be friends_

Sora's eyes immediately lit up. "I…I won?!"

Riku had now quickly darted back to the bench, very happy that Sora had won. He laughed when he saw the man grumble, handing Sora a very soft looking stuffed bear. He ran back to Riku, a huge smile on his face.

"I won, Riku! I won!" He held up the bear in Riku's face. "Look what I won, Riku! Look!"

Riku smiled down at Sora, he then patted his head and ruffled his hair. "I'm glad you won, Sora. You deserved it." Riku waited a moment, before asking a question. "Do you want to go on any other rides?" Riku noticed the sun was just beginning to set.

"No…I think I want to go home now," Sora quietly said, bowing his head slightly.

"All right."

_I touch you once I touch you twice_

_I won'_'_t let go at any price_

_I need you now like I needed you then_

_You always said we_'_d meet again someday_

There was silence as the two friends headed home. Riku was walking slightly ahead of Sora, and Sora was clutching his newly won bear to his chest. He was yellow, nearly golden, and his stomach was a pure white, with a yellow star on it. Sora loved his bear.

But he just wished he could think of name. He picked up the pace in his walk, so he was now walking beside Riku. Riku looked down at Sora. He never wanted to leave the brunet ever. He was perfection.

Sora yawned, today had been a long day, and he was very tired because of it. He was just thankful that Kairi hadn't shown up. But little did Sora know, that she was following him, hiding in some nearby bushes. Gah, she was completely and totally insane.

The two finally made it back home, and Sonja glomped Sora to the ground… But she wasn't the only one.

_If you leave_

_Oh if you leave_

_Oh if you leave_

_Don_'_t look back_

_Don_'_t look back_

Sora rubbed his head, as he sat up. Selphie and Sonja had just glomped him to the ground… Great.

"What was that for?" he asked.

Selphie grinned, hugging Sora again. "I haven't seen you much lately, Sor-Sor! None of us have, actually. Tidy-widy and the others are starting to worry about you."

Sonja raised an eyebrow at this. Sora quickly ran up the stairs, Riku right behind him. "I feel sick! I'll see you later, Selphie!"

Selphie's eyes followed Sora up the stairs. He was gone in a matter of seconds…but…but she thought she saw something else. Something silver…

* * *

When the two made it to Sora's room, Riku said, breathing heavily, "W-we've…got to…be more…careful…"

"Y-yeah," Sora agreed.

"Do you think Sonja saw me?" Riku asked, finally regulating his breathing.

"I-I don't think so," Sora said. "Although, she definitely didn't buy my lie about hanging out with Tidus and Wakka." Sora sighed.

"SORA!" Sora gasped, hiding under his bed. "Sora, where are you? It is I, your great friend, Marluxia!"

Sora's eyes widened. _Oh, gah…_ he thought. _The flower freak._ Sora slowly poked his head out from the under the bed. "H-hi, Marluxia. Didn't know it was you."

"Well, dinner will be ready in a few minutes. I just got back today. Your mother invited me over. Reno and Kadaj are coming, too. It'll be fun! You're coming down, right? Sonja said you weren't feeling that well. I could make you some of my special soup if you'd like. You know…the one with my super-duper special ingredient. It always clears up colds and such…" Marluxia gasped. "Wait, you don't have the flu, do you?! If you do, I have something for—"

"I'm fine, Marluxia. I'll be down in a few minutes, all right?" Sora said, wishing he would just shut up once in a while…

"Are you sure? I could bring you some flowers. You know, they always do brighten up a room. Should I bring roses? Or maybe chrysanthemums would be better. Ooh! What about some daffodils! Their golden color would make you feel all warm and sunny insi—"

Sora stood up from the ground, and pushed Marluxia out the door, still rambling on about which flowers would brighten up a room and make you feel all cheerful the best. He currently was talking about sunflowers.

Sora shut the door, leaning against it, and letting out a sigh. "And I thought dealing with Kairi, Axel and my mom was enough."

"Don't forget you have me, too," Riku said, a sly grin spreading across his face.

"Yeah, and you're the **worst**."

"Don't be so cruel," Riku said, faking a pout. He looked at the bear still clutched tightly in Sora's arms. "Hey…" he said, "what're you gonna name the bear?"

Sora grinned, he had just thought of the perfect name before Marluxia had barged in. "Paopu,"

Riku arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah," Sora answered, smiling as he looked down at the fluffy golden bear.

"It's a perfect name," Riku said, walking over to Sora. Sora smiled.

* * *

That night, Sora fell asleep easily. For not only did he have his new bear, Paopu, but he had his angel, Riku.

* * *

**1** - The song is called "If You Leave" by OMD (Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark). One of my favorites, but in the original lyrics of the song it said, "seven years" instead of five, but since Riku was gone for five years…I decided to change it to that.

**-Edit Note:- **Meh, I didn't add stuff like I thought I would. -.-' Ah well, I like it fine this way. :) You know, it was just the right length, I think. ;) There weren't that many mistakes, either—I think my writing had gotten better by now. ;) Anyway, only one more chapter to go! I can hardly wait!

**Next chapter:** Axel burns something precious of Kairi's, Sonja leaves Sora home alone…with Riku, and Selphie sees Riku.

All of that and more in the next chapter of "I'll Be There for You!" Don't miss it; and don't forget to**review**! Much love to you all! -Waves-


	8. High On You

Hey. Skaterstar57 here. Wonder why I took so darn long to update? My cat died. His name was Sugar Daddy, he was a gray tabby, and he was 14 and a half years old. He was a great cat. I miss him so much—you have no idea. I've had him practically my whole life. I just…I was so sad. I cried like all day, and even when I went to skating the day after, I almost broke down and cried in front of all my friends. I told none of them what happened. Only my teacher. I just…couldn't bring myself to do so. But they could definitely tell something was up. I was much quieter than normal.

I don't even know why I'm telling all of you who read this… I guess it's because I owe you an explanation for waiting so long to update. I was going to update sooner, in fact, the day Sugar Daddy died, was the day I was going to update. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. I would say I'm sorry, like I always do, but I have a good excuse this time.

I'm just worried about one of my other cats, Kitkat. She was really close to Sugar Daddy (she was like his wife), and I can tell how sad she is. She acts terrified now if we put her in the room where all our cats go, and she keeps meowing and searching the house in the places he always went in. I just…feel so bad for her. Sorry, for telling you guys all of this. I just…needed to tell you why I took so long to update.

**Summary:** Sora Hikari is a normal 16-year-old trying to survive through school, friends, crazed ex-girlfriends (or they _think_ they were his girlfriend) and stalkers. Or at least he thinks he is normal…

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

**Warning:** This fic will contain **yaoi** (boyxboy love). If you do not care for boyxboy love, I suggest you leave. This fic will also contain **language**.

**Reviews:** You all have no idea how much I love you guys. Re-reading through some of my reviews after Sugar Daddy died, it made me really happy to read some of the sweet comments you people leave. I love you all.

**-Edit Note:- **Oh my gosh, it's the last chapter to edit. After this, I'm going to start work on the ninth chapter. I can't believe it. But I nearly cried when I looked at this chapter. It's now been a year since Sugar Daddy died. I'm so sad.

**A/N:** Well, I already had a huge A/N up there, so I basically covered everything. But…the beginning of this chapter is because of Silli-zicuni, since she gave me the idea. Oh—if you guys ever have an idea for this story (besides Riku and Sora making out right now), please tell me! Really, I love using them, and I'm sure you people would come up with some GREAT ideas for this! Love and cookies to all!

* * *

I'll Be There for You - Chapter 8. High On You

-o-

"_Humility is not thinking less of yourself; but thinking of yourself less._" -- **Unknown**

* * *

Sora was disturbed out of his wonderful sleep early, because he heard noise. A lot of noise. He groaned, pulling the blankets over his head. This sucked. Majorly. He groaned again, hearing a scream coming from outside. What the hell was it?!

"Maaan," he groaned, rolling on his side to look at the clock, he squinted his eyes, adjusting the clock. It was 8:00 A.M.! He was supposed to sleep until 11:00! He didn't have to get up early. Although, probably about any minute now, Sonja would have woken him up. So…I suppose he didn't miss out on that much sleep, now, huh?

"What are you complaining about, Sora? You should have been up a long time ago," came a nagging voice. Well, it wasn't really nagging, but Sora considered anything this early in the morning to be nagging. Pssh. Stupid morning people. They should all go to hell.

He had seen a shirt the other day, it said: 'We can't all be morning people.', and showed four ducks, one who was asleep. **(1)** He totally needed to buy that shirt. Wait…it was a girl's shirt. That sucked.

Sora rolled over on his side again, turning to the face the silver-haired teen, whom was smirking at Sora, sitting on his dresser.

"Get offa that, Riku. You'll break it," he mumbled, wishing to go back to wonderful sleep.

"I'm not that heavy, Sora," Riku said, frowning.

Sora ignored Riku, and then he heard the noise again from outside. "What the hell is that?!" he snapped, sitting up in defeat of finally being able to fall asleep again.

Riku shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. It's been like that for awhile now."

Sora smacked a hand to his forehead, grumbling curses on the older boy. "You're just _so_ much help, Riku!"

"Why, yes, I am," Riku said, grinning widely.

Sora just grumbled, ignoring the silver-haired boy's antics again. He muttered curses under his breath as he headed off to take a shower and get dressed. He **definitely** needed to see what was going on outside. Whatever had woken him up this early, surely would pay.

Coming out of the shower not even five minutes later, Sora heard the noise again, louder this time, with a huge scream that sounded like, "STUPID FIRE!!!" Or something similar to that, anyway. Yeah. Still feeling quite sleepy, Sora grabbed Riku's arm, and sleepily dragged him out of his room and down the stairs. There was no noise in his house, which was quite surprising, considering his family and all.

Hmph. When he got downstairs, he stayed silent for a moment. There was no squealing Sonja, no perverted Roxas making out with Axel, no Cloud going all crazy and punishing everyone, and not even a silent Leon. Oh my gosh…

"My dream has come true!" Sora sobbed. But when he made it the kitchen, he realized it was anything but. He saw a note on the table, and he snatched it up, reading it quickly.

"_Dear, Sora,_

_I took Cloud, Roxas, and Leon out for a bit. We had to drive up to the city for the party Reno's planning. We should be back tonight. I love you, honey!_

_-Hugs and kisses-_

_Love, __Mom_"

Sora stared at the note for a long moment. Who was crazy enough to head to the city part of Destiny Island at 7/8 in the morning? Only one person: Sonja Hikari.

"What's it say?" Riku asked, before biting into an apple.

Sora rolled his eyes at Riku. "They're all gone," he said, still quite amazed by the whole fact that his family would be gone…for nearly an entire day. This was Heaven, surely.

Riku chocked on his apple slightly. He set it down, patting his chest. Oh boy… Could he trust himself to do nothing to Sora if they were alone in the same house together? Most likely not, but he could damn well try.

Then, Sora heard the noise again. "Dammit!" he yelled, grabbing Riku's hand and running outside. "What the hell is that?!" Well, when he made it outside, he definitely smelled something burning. He placed a hand over his mouth and nose—the smoke was bothering him a lot. He heard another scream, and decided to go in the direction from where he heard it. Although, it was quite hard to make it there…since there was so much damn smoke. Pssh. Smoke was overrated.

Then again…a **lot** of things were overrated. Tap dancing flamingos, for example. Everyone knew they were overrated. And cello playing ostriches were_so_ underrated. Uh-huh. Sora knew the truth, he sure did.

What was going on again? Oh yeah…smoke and—fire! Sora suddenly gasped, realizing there was a fire. Oh my goodness…had he set the house on fire again? Wait, again? Oh, come on! It wasn't _his_ fault (as he always said) that he had set the house on fire before! It was the damn soup, I tell you! The **DAMN** soup!

Well, with Riku completely forgotten now (poor dear), Sora attempted to look around through the smoke, trying to find the fire. Wherever the hell it was. (Hoping it wasn't his house…**again**.) When he heard more screams and yells, he finally found the fire._Thank goodness,_ he thought. _It's not__**my**__ house._ So, with a sigh of relief, Sora ran over to where two figures were, Riku not far behind him.

As Sora got closer, he heard someone whine, "How could you?! That was for **Sora**!" Sora stopped running. Something…for him? Did he…did he recognize that voice? Hmph. He honestly could not tell. But he did not really care for it, honestly.

When he got closer, he recognized one of the people. It was… "But it's an awe-inspiring FIRE!!!" …Axel. No doubt about that. How could Sora think it was anyone else? Of course the only person who would make a fire at 8:30 in the morning would be Axel. Hell, no one else really even liked fires but him. Come on, the kid was crazy about burning random things/starting fires. And currently, he had made a gigantic bonfire, as he danced around stupidly. Sora rolled his eyes.

Riku started to laugh, and Sora told him to shut up. Riku just grinned down at Sora. And now Sora saw the other person. It was the freak redheaded stalker who wouldn't freakin' leave him alone. Yes…it was Kairi. And Sora saw her stamp her foot on the ground and whine some more.

"You jerk!" she said, pushing Axel slightly. "I used my own money to buy that for Sora! And you…you…!"

"Axel?" Sora stepped closer to the two bickering redheads, and cocked his head to the side. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Sora!" said both of the redheads at once. Sora shook his head slightly. Whoa.

"She's ruining my fire!"

"He burned the gift I bought you!" they both said at once again.

Sora shook his head once more, trying to understand what they said. Okay…he thought Axel was the one that complained about the fire…and Kairi was the one who complained about some freak-ish burnt gift. Whatever.

Sora turned to Axel, giving him the thumbs up, while mentally ignoring that Axel was the one Roxas was spending so much time with. He really did not want to be in the same room with those two, no sirree. Axel grinned at Sora, and then went back with his freak, crazy dance around the fire. Yup. His brother was dating an entirely insane person. Woohoo. He sure would fit right in with their family.

Sora then turned to Kairi. "I'm sorry," he said, although inside he was jumping around wildly, flipping Kairi off and saying: _Take that, bitch! Hahaha. You probably picked out some lame-o girly gift, anyway._

"But it was a super cool Nintendo DS Lite," Kairi whined again, walking closer to Sora.

Sora snapped out of his crazy mental dance. "D-DS…Lite?"

"Yes," Kairi confirmed sadly, wrapping an arm around Sora's shoulder.

Sora stared at the arm. That seriously was bugging him. What if she gave him whore-germs again? He surely did bot want any more of those. No, he did not. _BUT!_ Axel had burned a FREE Nintendo DS Lite that he could have gotten? Okay, now he wasn't sure whom he was mad at. The bitch whom had her arm slung on him, or the pyromaniac who had burned his Nintendo DS Lite in a bonfire. Quite a tough decision Sora had to make.

Well, as Kairi inched closer and closer, he told Nintendo to take a walk (-GASP!-), and decided he'd rather be with Axel and his freak obsession with fire than the slut who was about to kiss him. Speaking of kissing, that was what Kairi was prepared to do…right now, in fact. But before she could even get her toxic lips on Sora's (and before Riku could push her out of the way), Sora knocked her down to the ground, and then leaned down toward her, sneering.

"Will you fucking stop already?!" he screamed, throwing his arms up in the air. "Everywhere I go…everywhere! You follow me, like some freak-ish stalker! I seriously am getting a bit pissed off!" Riku whistled. Whoa. And he thought Sora would have made a run for it by now. "You know what, Kairi? I used to like you…but only as a _friend_. I am not your boyfriend, I never was, and I never will be! 'Cause I would never **EVER** even _consider_ dating a slutty whore like you!" And with that, Sora took off out of the smoke, leaving Riku left bewildered. After finally snapping out of his daze, he shook his had and took off after Sora, clapping the entire way.

"Way to go, Sora!" Riku cheered, catching up to the brunet's side. When they finally thought they were enough from the evil red-haired bitch, they slowed their running down to a walk. Riku crossed his arms behind his head, looking up at the brilliantly blue sky. It reminded him of Sora… _A lot._

They walked in peaceful silence, not really feeling like talking at the moment. It still was morning after all, and it took Sora a little while to adjust to it, of course. But, something suddenly disturbed their silence, and it so happened to be Sora's hungry stomach.

It growled loudly, making Riku burst out in laughter. Sora began to pout. "It's not funny. I'm really hungry, Riku."

Riku looked over at Sora, attempting to stifle his laughter and failing. "But you're just so cu—"

"Don't even say it," Sora interrupted, hissing dangerously.

Riku backed away from him slightly. Okay…Sora could be really scary when he wanted to be. Honestly. He wondered if it was safe to go near the brunet at this moment. Riku laughed nervously. "Wanna get something to eat, then?" he asked.

"Where?!" Sora stepped in front of Riku, grabbing his arms and bouncing up and down slightly. He looked like a child who was about to get a new toy. Sora was so darn cute.

"How about IHOP?" Riku suggested, grinning. Yep, Sora was the most adorable being on the planet. No doubt about that.

"Really?!" Sora said, just as eagerly. Whoa, this boy definitely loved food. A lot. Probably more than anything else in this world…

Wait.

For some reason, that hurt Riku a bit. Thinking that Sora probably cared more about food than him, which was most likely definitely true. An image of him hanging from a cliff, and a banquet of food on the other side of Sora suddenly popped in his head. He wondered if he would pick the food over him… Hmm…

Well, his imagery was suddenly burst as Sora continued to ask him if they could really go to IHOP. Riku simply smiled, and then offered to race Sora to IHOP. I wonder who would win…

* * *

But of course Riku won, because Riku always won. It was impossible for him **not** to win. And of course Sora pouted, because whenever Riku won, Sora would pout. It was impossible for him **not** to pout, because Riku was a big mean jerk that was too damn fast for his own good.

Yes, Sora knew it all along. But all was forgotten, as his eyes lay upon the grand IHOP. He quickly made a dash for the door, one, that even Riku could not beat. If Sora were this hungry every time they raced, and he knew he would get food at the end, I think Sora would be winning a lot more.

As soon as a waitress got Sora a table, he quickly grabbed the menu, reading through it eagerly, wondering what all he should order. Riku just watched in amusement. Same old Sora, all right.

As soon as the waitress came back, Sora quickly said several different things he wanted, and as the waitress began to walk away, looking dizzy, Riku poked Sora.

"Don't I get anything?" he asked, slightly offended that he was forgotten that easily over delicious pancakes and bacon.

"Sure," Sora said, shrugging his shoulders. He quickly called out to the waitress for an extra order of pancakes, fried eggs and bacon. The waitress threw her hands up in the air, dropping Sora's menu in the process. Damn teenagers. Too hungry for their own good.

There was little talk between the two while they waited for their food; for they knew if Sora started talking to thin air, it would not look so good to everyone else. _But_, once the food arrived, Sora shot up like a light. He quickly dove into his delicious breakfast, making quite a mess as he did so.

Riku grimaced, before pulling his plate of pancakes toward himself, making sure Sora didn't eat them in the process. Seriously, it was like he was a vacuum…or something. Well, before Riku could get half way through his pancakes, Sora had already finished his meal. And patted his stomach subconsciously, very satisfied. Riku chuckled, shaking his head.

After Sora paid for their meal, Riku quickly finished up his pancakes, and grabbed Sora's hand, leading him out the door. Sora said nothing, nor did Riku. Sora yawned lightly, and Riku sighed, neither one really knowing what to do now. Well, they did not really have to decide because someone suddenly glomped Sora to the ground. He was very thankful that it was not Kairi.

"Hey, Selphie," he greeted, smiling lazily up at her. At this, Selphie squeezed Sora's neck very tight, making it hard for him to breath.

Riku laughed at this, shaking his head. Same old Selphie, all right. As Selphie was opening her mouth to say something, she quickly shut her mouth, turning around to face Riku. Sora's eyes widened. Oh no. Oh _no_. It couldn't be…it just _couldn't_ be!

"Who's this?!" Selphie asked, bouncing off of Sora and over to Riku. She didn not recognize him? Well, Sora had not recognized him the first time, either, but that honestly did not matter at this point. What Sora was worried about is how two people had now seen Riku: Sonja and Selphie. Maybe it has to do with S's or something… Sora, Sonja, Selphie… It was very probable.

"Him?" Sora asked dumbly, pointing over to Riku.

"Yes, _him_," Selphie confirmed. Grinning mischievously, she added, "Is he your boyfriend?"

"Wha…?" Sora's eyes widened, what Selphie had just said finally registering in his brain. He suddenly blushed very deeply. "N-no! I don't even know who the **hell** he is!" Sora frantically said, worried that he wasn't telling his masterful lies very well anymore.

_Gee, thanks, Sora,_ Riku thought sarcastically. He cleared his throat, and extended a hand to Selphie, trying to bring her attentions away from the very guilty looking Sora.

"I believe we've met before," he said, smiling.

Selphie furrowed her brows together, frowning, while Sora simply smacked a hand to his forehead. Idiotic Riku… What the **HELL** was he doing?!

Selphie suddenly grinned widely. "That's it! I remember you! You're…you're…"

"I'm…I'm…" Riku froze. Oh, shit. He hadn't thought of a name. _Think, Riku, think!_ he thought, scolding himself. A light bulb suddenly lit above his head. Aha! "Soku." So for Sora and ku for Riku. Heh. Genious!

Sora's eyes widened even more than before. He…he…! Riku...why he oughta…! ARGH! How stupid could one person be? SOKU?! What the hell kind of name was THAT?!

"Of course!" Selphie squealed. "I remember you, Soku! We…we met each other at…" Selphie trailed off, suddenly very puzzled.

"At the candy store on Destiny rd. _That's_ where we met," Riku quickly finished, feeling proud of himself. Sora had to admit, that was a nice recovery.

"Of course!" Selphie squealed, glomping Riku in the process. Although, she did not knock him down to the ground. Riku had sort of been expecting it… He used to get glomped by her all the time, after all.

Sora was about to say something, but before he could, Selphie chirped, grabbing both Riku and Sora's arms, "Let's all go to Moogle's Candy store!" Of course, if Selphie ended up there, the world was in danger of being destroyed…

But, sadly, neither Riku nor Sora had any say in the matter, because when Selphie wanted sugar, she got sugar.

* * *

After getting horrid stomachaches from eating too much candy, Riku and Sora were now planning on escaping the maniac Selphie with a very high level of sugar in her bloodstream. Not a very pretty picture, I say.

She was currently ordering a dozen lollipops and more M & M's, and that's when Riku turned to Sora and whispered, "Okay, on the count of three, we floor it. One, two, three!" Riku whispered quickly, hoping to get away from Selphie as soon as possible. They both quickly made a dash for it, and were out of the candy story as fast as lightning. Selphie was not following them.

Riku screamed for joy, jumping up in the air as he continued to run ahead of Sora. "I'm free!" he called. "I am no longer a prisoner to the crazy sugar-high girl! Yahoo!"

Sora laughed, trying to keep up with his silver-haired friend. But, it seemed it would never end, for just then a blitzball whizzed by Sora's head, nearly hitting him.

"Sora!" a redhead called, waving both of his hands back and forth. "Where've ya been, ya?"

At this, Sora came to a screeching halt, a frantic, murderous expression written on his face, and slowly turned around to face Wakka and Tidus. Oh brother…

"H-hey," Sora said nervously, hoping with all his might that they could not see Riku…

Tidus patted Sora on the back, and Sora yelped at this. What, was he made of metal or something?! That hurt! "Geez, Sora! I haven't seen you in days, man! Have you been keeping yourself locked in your room, missing out on all the summer fun?"

"Uh-uh…uhh…" Sora stuttered, trying to quickly think up a lie. "I've-I've—that is—"

"Sonja been keepin' ya busy?" Tidus said, chuckling.

"Y-yeah." Sora nervously looked around himself, he noticed something was missing: Riku. Oh gosh, where had the boy gone off to now? Sora was honestly getting tired of this. Why did Riku just randomly disappear? It was rather frustrating, honestly.

"Wanna come over to my house? I got this new awesome video game. It's a total killer, man," Tidus offered, grinning widely.

But, as Sora tried to think up an excuse to get out of going to Tidus' house, Wakka suddenly spoke up, "I get it, ya…" he said, grinning.

"What?" Tidus turned his attentions toward Wakka.

Wakka snickered. "I know why Sora has been gone lately all the time, ya. He's got a girlfriend!"

Sora's face immediately heated up as his eyes widened and his whole body grew stiff. "N-n-no—" he stammered.

"Who is it?!" Tidus asked, cackling. He patted Sora on the back again; Sora felt like he was going to choke. "Is it Naminé? Ollete? C'mon! Tell us, Sora!"

"Uh-uh-uhh… I don't have a girlfriend," Sora said, knowing his face was now as red as a tomato. "I just haven't been feeling all that well lately, that's all."

"Pssh, sure," Tidus said, laughing.

Wakka nudged Tidus' shoulder, leaning down to whisper, "He's too embarrassed to admit it, man." He snickered again.

Sora knew he was pouting, as he clenched his fists at his sides. "I'm going home!" he called out to them as he stomped away, wanting to get away from the big jerks who liked to tease him so damn much…

"Aw, come on, Sora! We were only joking around with you!" Tidus called, hoping to bring back his friend, but to no avail.

---

Sora was in a sour mood now, so as he entered his house and then went up the stairs to his room, he wished he could just be alone. He was quite thankful that the rest of his family was out. A lot less problems for him, that was for sure. But, as soon as he entered his room, he got glomped down to the ground…by Riku, nonetheless.

Oh, gosh, the boy was high on sugar. Riku always did seem to have a delayed reaction whenever he ate a lot of sugar…and right now, that was one of those times. But, honestly, Sora was not in the mood for it. Stupid Wakka…stupid Tidus, stupid Kairi, stupid Axel… Gah, they were all stupid. Damn them all to hell.

"Get offa me," Sora finally said, glaring up at Riku. He attempted to push the silver-haired teen off, but there was none of that. Riku was much stronger than Sora, and he _**really**_ liked where he was right now. Yup, he did.

"No, I won't," Riku said, smiling lazily down at Sora.

Sora began to fume, and was about to yell Riku's head off, when Riku bent down and kissed Sora...on the lips! Sora's eyes were now as big as tennis balls, and the next thing he knew, Riku collapsed down on top of him, his sugar-high finally resulting in him falling asleep.

"Help me," Sora quietly pleaded, knowing he was very red at the moment. Riku…he had kissed him! But—had he even known what he was doing? When Riku got enough sugar, it was like he was high on drugs or hammered with way too much to drink… Seriously. So, was he even in his right state of mind?

Well, either way, Sora needed to get Riku off of him, badly. Riku was making him—very uncomfortable. His face flushed, knowing he had to get Riku off of him very, VERY soon. Ahem… A **very** embarrassing situation here, people.

Well, thankfully for Sora, Riku moved slightly in his sleep, and made it so Sora was able to squirm out from underneath Riku. He sighed in relief, lying down next to Riku on the floor. Geez, Riku had scared the hell out of him. Sora swore he would get Riku, some day, somehow, he most definitely would, all right.

Sora breathed in deeply, considering going back to sleep himself, because of the idiotic Axel and Kairi who had disturbed him from his beauty sleep. Oh, he would get them as well; he swore it on his moth—_cough_—hamster's grave.

Well, Sora snuggled up next to Riku, completely full and very embarrassed, and just wanting to push everything away for a few moments in sweet sleep.

* * *

_Later that day, when Riku awoke, he found Sora to be sleeping peacefully by his side, snuggling up next to him. Riku yawned tiredly, then smiled down lazily at the brunet. He was too adorable for words._

_And even though Riku knew he should not, he did, he bent down and kissed Sora, but as he did so, Sora's eyes fluttered open, and he began to kiss Riku back. Riku, shocked, pulled back from the kiss and stared at Sora._

"_I've always liked you, Riku," he admitted, blushing slightly._

_Riku just stared down at the brunet. He...he liked him? He __**REALLY**__ liked him. Oh my gosh, somebody pinch him! Is this real?! Well, before Riku could say anything, Sora pulled Riku down for another kiss. Riku blinked several times; before he realized what was going on. He had kissed Sora. Sora kissed him back. Sora said he liked him. Sora kissed him again. Okay…so what should he do in a situation like this?_

_A: Tell Sora he likes him, too_

_B: Kiss Sora back_

_C: Make out with Sora_

_D: All of the above_

_Riku opted for D. He finally started to kiss Sora back, climbing on top of the brunet and pinning him down against the floor. He ran his tongue along Sora's bottom lip. Sora gasped at this, and Riku took it as his chance to slip his tongue into Sora's mouth. His tongue traced around every corner in his mouth, earning a moan from Sora._

_Riku knotted his hands in Sora's hair as his tongue met Sora's in a fierce battle. It felt…so incredible. He had waited to do this for so long, always wanting to kiss Sora. And now…now he finally was. He pulled away, resulting in Sora whining. But Riku merely grinned as he bent down to kiss Sora's neck._

_Sora let a slight gasp slip from his lips at Riku's destination. As Riku ran his tongue along Sora's neck, Sora arched his head back, allowing Riku more access to his neck. And just when Riku bit down on Sora's sweet, silky flesh, a voice screamed his name. But it was not Sora, in fact it was Kairi._

_Riku screamed, jumping up from Sora to see that it was Kairi instead of Sora who he had been making out with. Kairi smiled widely, glomping Riku down to the ground._

"_Oh, Riku! I love you so much!" she squealed, practically squeezing the life out of him._

_Riku gagged._

"Wh-what?!" Riku shot up like a light. He looked around frantically, lying his eyes on the adorable brunet boy sleeping peacefully beside him. He let out the breath he had been holding in. Oh my, what a horrid nightmare.

Riku slowly, almost nervously lay back down next to Sora. But he could not sleep. So, eventually, he stood up, and went to go get a glass of water. Always helped him fall asleep before. After getting his water, he took a long sip. Ah, how refreshing.

Riku sat down on the couch, still thinking. Yup, once Riku started thinking, he honestly could not stop. And if he thought too much, he would never be able to fall asleep. No sirree. He let out a sigh, simply in deep thought. What was he thinking about? Come on, you have to ask? Who ELSE would he be thinking about besides a certain brunet boy, hm?

Riku set his glass of water down on the coffee table, and laid his arms over his knees and then laid his head down. Gee, how could he keep up things like this? He knew he should not have these feelings about Sora! Sora…was a guy, his best _friend_, and he'd probably think it was disgusting if he ever told him how he felt. Riku did not want to ruin his relationship with Sora. It is not like he had all the time in the world.

That was another thing… How much longer did he had left with Sora, anyway? And how the **hell** was he supposed to accomplish anything if he did not even know what he was supposed to be doing? Come **ON**! Give him a break!

_Head angel my ass,_ Riku thought mockingly, standing up and crossing his arms. He began to pace. All right, he would just ignore these feelings for Sora. Sora was his friend, nothing more. And that was that.

Although…he had never been high on sugar today, to be quite truthful. Nope, he never _EVER_ got high on sugar. That was something Selphie and Sora did. Oh…and Sonja, too, of course. But…but Riku sure was high on something, and it sure was not candy.

It was Sora.

* * *

**1** - I have a shirt just like that. One morning, I went to an early morning session (6-8 A.M.) at skating, and I was wearing that shirt. My friends kept laughing about it, and thought it was really funny.

You know…I'm starting to feel sorry for Kairi (shocker!). Heh. It's just that I seem to…bash her in this story, when I don't even hate her. In fact, I like her. Oh, and you all probably hate me for the scene near the end. Just don't kill me, all right? If I die, there will never be any more updates.

**Riku:** -Death glare- How could you do that?!

**Axel:** -Restrains Riku so he doesn't kill Miss Star-

Thank you, Axel.

**-Edit Note:- **Wow, this was another short chapter. But I didn't really add anything, because I liked the way it was. Well, I suppose it's to get cracking on the next chapter. See you all soon:)

**Next chapter:** Sonja tucks Riku in, Sonja wakes up Sora with a new plan, and Riku realizes something terribly wrong is happening.

Tune in next time on "I'll Be There for You", and don't forget to **review**! I need a hug… -sniffles for her poor Sugar Daddy-

**Riku:** …You're not getting a hug from me. After the scene at the end, you're lucky you're alive.

**Sora:** Riku…

**Riku:** -Sighs- All right, **review** for the woman, please. Her cat did die…after all. I guess she isn't all that horrible, but how could she make that scene so good and then make it turn out to be a horrid nightmare! -Rants and raves for hours upon hours-


	9. With or Without You

All right, here we go. –Sigh- I will try to explain this to you guys, but you all will probably still hate me forever more. Anyway, here goes…

Shortly after I posted the eighth chapter on here, I had the ninth all typed up, and was prepared to post it when…suddenly…I lost interest in yaoi and fanfiction. Well, I still liked it, but it didn't have the same hold for me as it did before. And I almost had no free time in my life—what with skating and all, so I just decided to quit fanfiction.

I deleted the next chapter of this, and the next ones for "An Unexpected Gift" as well. Plus I deleted all the stories I had yet to post on here. Stupid, aren't I? Well, in April of last year, I got into fanfiction again, and re-wrote the next chapter of AUG, and this one—but then after posting the third chappy of AUG, I decided I didn't want to do fanfiction…AGAIN. And thus I deleted this chapter yet again.

Now here me out, I am here to stay, I swear it. I've already posted two more chapters of "An Unexpected Gift" and also posted two more one-shots, "Mistletoe" and "We're All Pixies Deep Down, Aren't We?" in case you want to check them out. Plus I am co-writing a fic with **biach-goddess-leah, **titled, "Strawberries and Cream", and it is posted on **her** account.

So as I said, this chapter was re-written from it's original form—and is vastly different than it was originally, so just bear with me, okay? Also, I could not remember several things that happened in this chapter, so I did other things instead. For instance how Sonja wakes Sora up. I thought up something really hilarious, but I could not remember it. So the one I stuck in here is really stupid. Please forgive me, okay?

Anyway…enough talking! If you remember this fic at all—please come back and read and review it! I would be oh so happy if you did—and surely it would keep me from quitting fanfiction yet again. XD And believe me, I'm serious about this again. Before I started the ninth chappy, I went back and edited all the previous eight chapters. Yup, I AM serious here. XD

**Summary:** Sora Hikari is a normal 16-year-old trying to survive through school, friends, crazed ex-girlfriends (or they _think_ they were his girlfriend) and stalkers. Or at least he thinks he is normal…

**Disclaimer:** All right, people—we are at an understanding now, yes? I do not own Kingdom Hearts. Tis a pity, I know—but we must learn to accept this horrid fact already. –Weeps despite herself-

**Warning:** This fic will contain **yaoi** (boyxboy love). If you do not care for boyxboy love, I suggest you leave. This fic will also contain **language**.

**Reviews:** I cannot _believe_ how many reviews I got for the last chapter! Over twenty… Wow. So fantastic! I know it's been over a year and all, but I have to tell you all that those reviews made me so happy—especially since I was so sad about Sugar Daddy. I thank you all profoundly for your kind words and condolences.

**A/N:**Well, folks, I know it's been a long haul, but if you stick with me through this chapter, I can assure you I will stick through this to the end. ;) The chapter title for this comes from my favorite song by my favorite band, U2. "With or Without You" is such a beautiful song. ;) And it TOTALLY fit with this chapter and this fic in general. Trust me. xD I **highly reccomend **you give the song a listen while you read this. Just go on Youtube or something and check it out. (But make sure it's an '80's version of it—it's the best!) Also...the quote for this chapter...I've never watched that show, but I liked the quote--it fit. ;) Well, hope you read this and enjoy it. :)

* * *

I'll Be There for You - Chapter 9. With or Without You

-o-

"_It seems to me that the best relationships, the ones that last, are frequently the ones rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than the night before, like a switch has been flicked somewhere, and the person who was just a friend is suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with." _--**The X-Files (the character Dana Katherine Scully)**

* * *

It was now very late in the night, and it was dark outside when Sonja Hikari returned with her two sons and Leon. All three of the boys were thoroughly exhausted, and they trudged up the stairs to their beds. While Sonja decided to head off to the kitchen for a little midnight snake, as she came back out of the kitchen, and was preparing to sit on the couch, she suddenly stopped. There asleep on the couch was Riku, and he looked exactly like when she had seen him on the stairs. 

She smiled softly as she looked down at him. She then set down her glass of milk and plate of cookies on the coffee table, and went off to get something for him. She returned, and draped the blanket over him, tucking him in gingerly. She sat in a chair as she watched him sleep, that same soft and gentle smile on her face. "Oh, Riku, why have you returned to this Earth?" she quietly whispered, clasping her hands together. She glanced out the window, mesmerized by the brilliant stars in the dark sky.

Sonja finished eating her cookies and put the dishes away. As she passed the couch to go back up the stairs, preparing to go to bed, she stopped. She bent down and kissed Riku on the forehead. "Sweet dreams, my darling Riku," she whispered so quietly it was barely even audible. She then went up the stairs and went to bed.

* * *

Sonja decided that day, that she wanted to have some fun with waking Sora up. Honestly, she had been gone the past few days, and she _really_ missed waking her darling little Sora up. Yes, she has complained that he is a pain to wake up before, but all in all, she has fun doing it, and she loves it. So…she knew she had to wake him up in a new wonderful way. But what on earth would that be? She paced around the kitchen as she thought over this. It was all rather troubling, you see. 

How about plan Firebird? No, no…that was not original; she used it all the time. She needed something different. Plan Deathroad? No, she always used that one on Roxas—so she most certainly could not use it for Sora. No, she kept them separate. Plan Blizzard was a no as well. And she did not really feel like using plan Rock 'em Sock 'em, either. It was not even that good, anyway.

Suddenly, Sonja felt as if a light bulb had lit above her head. It was…it was perfect! And she had never even gotten around to using it yet! She had thought it up about a month ago or so, so this would be absolutely perfect now. Sonja was beaming with happiness. Yes, that would fit quite nicely, indeed. She went off to get all that she would need. On her way to the kitchen, she saw Riku still there, sleeping peacefully on the couch. She smiled softly.

* * *

Sora was still asleep on the floor. After all, he and Riku had fallen asleep there last night, after eating a HUGE amount of candy with Selphie. And she had seen Riku. Oh, brother. Sora was in a bind now. Why, oh why were even more people able to see Riku now? It was rather puzzling. After all, Riku had _told_ Sora that only he would be able to see Riku, and no one else could…for whatever reason, Sora did not know. 

Sora rolled over onto his right side, slightly curled up into a ball-shape. In the distance, soft footfalls were being made, but Sora paid them no mind. No, he was too lost in dreamland to be paying attention to anything else. He was rather enjoying his sleep, too, and he most certainly did _not_ want to be woken from it. But did Sonja ever think of that? Yes, of course she did…she simply did not care.

Now what happened to poor, innocent little Sora, you ask? Why, he was covered in whipped cream from head to toe. Why? Only Sonja knew that. You could no longer even see the brunet any more; all you saw was a big pile of white fluff. Sonja smirked as she counted to five. Any second now…

"WHAT IN THE HELL?!"

And there ya go…

Sonja simply rolled on the floor laughing, pointing at Sora like he was some space alien, or something that strange, anyway. She hit the floor with her fist several times, still laughing hysterically.

Sora found it hard to move, for he was covered in whipped cream, after all. How did it wake him up? He could not breath any longer for there was so much on him, and he felt quite moist and itchy as well.

"Sora!" Sonja scolded. "You're ruining the carpet, you ninny!" She then burst out laughing again.

"And whose fault is that?!" Sora screamed, going a bit too much over the edge. Oh, my…

"Why, yours, of course, sweetie," Sonja answered innocently.

Sora groaned and attempted to get some of the whipped cream off of him, but it was futile, really—for it—was—_**everwhere!!**_Sora groaned again, feeling like killing his mother once and for all.

This was when Sora realized Riku was not in the room. All right, where had he wandered off to now? Sora was getting rather tired of it, honestly. Riku left without even telling him he was leaving. He could at least leave him a note or something like that.

Deciding that it was the only way to get rid of all the fucking whipped cream; Sora trudged off to take a shower, a white trail behind him. Besides, he would be rather sticky, too. Sora sighed. Why, oh why did he have to have a mother like Sonja?

She snorted with laughter when she saw him slam the bathroom door shut. She sighed dreamily as she leaned back on the floor, crossing her arms behind her head. "Ah, I love my life." After lying there a moment, she stood up to go get a few wet towels. After all, she had a lot of whipped cream to clean up.

* * *

Sora groaned as he emerged from the bathroom squeaky clean. He had finally managed to get rid of all the whipped cream, though it was rather hard. It was coated on, I tell you, coated on! Yes…Sora now detested whipped cream. It would be forever ruined for him now. He shivered at the mere thought of it. 

He began to whistle as he went down the stairs, only to suddenly hear someone scream, "YOU CAN'T KILL HIM, CLOUD!!" And then Roxas came running down the stairs, and inevitably ran into Sora, resulting in the two tumbling down and rolling down the stairs. They ended up in a heap against the wall.

"Oh, Sora, you friggin' idiot!" Roxas growled.

"Friggin' idiot? Who's a friggin' idiot?! If anyone's a friggin' idiot, it's _you_, for you came running down the stairs like a lunatic!" Sora shouted.

"Whatever!" Roxas shouted back. "Now is not the time! Cloud is going to _**KILL**_ Axel!"

"But why?" Sora asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Because Cloud is an over-protective brother!" Roxas answered. "What other reason could there possibly be?"

Roxas and Sora suddenly heard a loud noise. Uh-oh. It sounded like something fragile had just broken.

"You stay out of this house and away from my brother, you…you sex-maniac!" Yup—that was definitely Cloud's voice.

"I didn't do anything with Roxas last night, I swear!" Axel protested.

Roxas went back up the stairs, Sora close behind him.

"Then why the hell were you in his bed?!" Cloud demanded.

"We were _snuggling_!" Axel elaborated. "Snuggling is innocent! Just ask Roxas!"

Roxas pushed Cloud away from Axel. "Cloud, I swear, it's true. For once we didn't do anything!"

Cloud's eye twitched. "F-for once?"

Roxas sighed. "Cloud, I know you may not approve of Axel, and I know you're my brother and everything—but you need to give him a break."

"Why should I?" asked Cloud, getting more annoyed by the second.

"Because I love him!" Roxas shouted.

This made Axel stop moving and Cloud move back. "W-what?" Axel stuttered.

"You heard me," was all Roxas said.

And then…

"Oh, Roxas, I love you too!" Axel ran over to the blond and hugged him for dear life.

Cloud watched the scene with slight scorn. Finally he cleared his throat and said, "You have my blessing." He then went off to find Leon.

Axel cheered. "Roxas, I can't believe you love me!"

"How could you not tell?" Roxas mumbled into Axel's shirt.

"I can't figure out everything for myself, Roxas," said Axel, smiling brightly.

Sora took this as his cue to head on out. He went back down the stairs, and wandered into the kitchen to get breakfast. He growled as he passed his mother and sat down. "Good morning, mother," he greeted coldly.

Sonja merely giggled, taking a long sip of her coffee. "Oh, good morning to you as well, my precious, precious son!"

Sora merely grunted before he began to eat his waffles; Sonja smiled.

Once Sora had finally finished his breakfast, he went back out to the living room, only to spot something on the couch that caused him to scream aloud and jump up. The thing is…Sora did not land on his feet gracefully, so he fell down on the floor, still screaming.

A melodic voice from the kitchen was heard. "Oh, Sora, honey, whatever happened to you, darling?" Sonja called.

"N-nothing!" Sora answered. "I-I just fell! I'm fine!"

"Whatever you say!" Sonja sang.

Sora growled as he stood back up. He glared at the couch that held a certain silver-haired occupant covered in a blanket, and half-hanging off the couch, to be precise. Sora stuck his tongue out Riku, even though he could not see him. Either way, he was angry with Riku. It was _his_ fault that he had fallen over like a fool. Well, to be honest, it was not _exactly_ Riku's fault. The silver-haired teen had merely taken Sora by surprise, and that was all. But the boy was evil deep down Sora swore it.

Sora glanced back at the kitchen to where his mom was currently grooving to, "Dude Looks Like a Lady" by Aerosmith. **(1)** If Riku had been on this couch for a long time, perhaps all night, surely his mother would have seen him on the couch… But she had not mentioned anything about him to Sora, which she most likely would have. So—could she no longer see him? Perhaps this meant Selphie could no longer see Riku either. Sora smiled in thought. Perhaps then…everything would be all right after all.

Sora then decided that he would at least have to wake the silver-haired angel up. It was the only merciful thing to do, after all—otherwise Riku would miss out on the entire day.

So Sora whispered to Riku quietly—after all, he did not want his mother to hear—or else she really _would_ believe Riku had come back, as a ghost or whatever she thought he was.

"Riku! Wake up!" Sora whispered.

"W-what?" Riku mumbled sleepily.

"Time to wake up, sleepyhead!" Sora whispered slightly louder, sneaking a glance back at the kitchen.

"Idon'wanna!" Riku mumbled his words together.

Sora frowned, placing his hands on his hips. All right, he had an idea on how to wake up Riku, and he could do it without Sonja being the least suspicious. He kicked his leg forward and screamed, "ARGH!!! THAT HURT LIKE HELL!!!" right near Riku's ear. The angel snapped up immediately, looking scared out of his wits.

Sonja called out, "Are you okay, Sora?"

"I stubbed my toe!" Sora informed her.

"Oh, well, you're right. It _does_ hurt like hell!" she called out.

Sora grinned. His plan had worked perfectly after all. He grinned to himself. Meanwhile, Riku was giving him the death glare. He pointed to the door, standing up and walking to it. Sora chuckled and followed him. Before they were gone, he yelled out to his mom that they were leaving.

As soon as they were gone, Sonja said to herself, "Have fun with Riku, dear."

While outside, Riku was thoroughly infuriated.

"You little weasel!" he yelled, looking Sora directly in the eye.

Sora, feigning innocent, said, "But Riku, dearest, you would not wake up. I had to do what I had to do."

"You could have done it a little bit quieter!" Riku persisted.

"Believe me, I tried," Sora said flatly.

Riku slumped his shoulders. "Oh, well. Whatever, Sora, sorry I'm in a bit of a bad mood. I couldn't sleep well last night."

"I noticed," Sora said with a sigh. "But at least you didn't get woken up by finding you were covered in whipped cream."

Riku stopped walking; Sora turned around to see what halted the other teen. Riku was silent for a long time, and then finally...

"Bwahaha! Did Sonja really do that? Oh my gosh, that is fuckin' hilarious! I cannot believe that! So…damn…funny!" Riku held his side, gasping for breath.

"It's not funny," said Sora, deeply upset by Riku's behavior.

But Riku paid him no mind, and just continued to laugh and laugh. Finally, he was able to control himself and caught up to where Sora was. "Hey, Sora, wait up!" he called.

"I do not wait for hyennas," said Sora.

"I'm not a hyenna!" Riku objected.

"Well, you sure as hell were acting like one back there…you big oaf."

"I am not a big oaf!"

"Sure you aren't," said Sora, rolling his eyes.

Riku sighed. "I apologize, okay? Now can we go back to being friends?"

Sora hesitated for a moment. He then answered, "Of course."

Riku smiled and ruffled the brunet's hair. "So, Sora, what do you want to do today?" he asked. "We've done basically everything since I've come back. Gone to a movie, ate breakfast at IHOP, roller skated, ice skated, gone to the island, played Candy Land, went to the carnival, eaten a—_should be illegal amount_—of candy." Sora laughed at this. "So is there really that much left we haven't done yet?"

Sora smiled. "Well, you know, Riku, we sure have done a lot since you've come back—and I'm so thankful for that. But I have a special idea." And Sora then quickly ran back inside to get something. Riku waited for a few minutes, rocking back and forth on his heals, whistling. Sora finally returned.

"What took you so long, Sora?" Riku asked, putting his hands in his pockets.

Sora held up a basket. "Let's have a picnic today, Riku! I bet it'll be a lot of fun!"

"That sounds fantastic, Sora. But didn't you just eat breakfast?"

"Well, I thought we could just go to the park first, and then we could eat. Besides, I have plenty more room left in my stomach for food," said Sora, patting his stomach.

Riku chuckled. "That's right. I forgot that you're the bottomless pit."

"I am not!" Sora objected indignantly.

This only resorted in Riku laughing even more. "Hahaha! Sora, you are just too funny!"

Sora still looked very indignant.

* * *

They reached the park, and decided to walk around a bit. There was a small lake here, and Sora spotted several swans. 

"Look, Riku, look at them! Aren't they beautiful?" Sora asked, smiling brightly.

"They sure are," Riku said. He added in thought, _But not as beautiful as you._

Sora then poked Riku on the shoulder. Riku turned around to face the brunet, whom had a wide grin on his face. "What is it, Sora?"

"TAG! You're it!" Sora suddenly exclaimed, running away from Riku quickly.

It took Riku a moment to realize what this situation meant. --_Oh,_-- he thought. --_He wants to play Tag._-- Oh, it would seem that Riku finally grasped what Sora meant. Hm…he isn't the brightest bulb in the box, now is he?

He quickly ran after Sora. He would surely make him it instead! How dare he do something like this unexpectedly?! But by the time Riku began to run after Sora, the brunet was so far ahead that Riku no longer even saw him. Finally, he spotted a spike of brown hair. Riku grinned as he pressed on running. Soon he caught up enough with Sora and lunged forward towards the boy. Sora yelped in surprise.

"Gotcha!" Riku exclaimed as he latched his arms around the brunet. The two tumbled down to the ground, Riku grinning triumphantly.

"You big meanie!" Sora accused, punching Riku in the chest.

"Wow, I _totally_ felt that, Sora," said Riku, yawning slightly.

Sora was now infuriated. He punched him again. Riku noticed the difference this time; it actually _hurt_. "You're always so damn mean, Riku! Give me a break!"

Riku smiled. "All right, Sora, I'll try and be nicer—'kay?"

Sora blushed at Riku's expression and looked down at the ground. "O-okay."

Riku looked over at a beautiful cherry tree. "Hey, Sora, that's a nice place. Why don't we have our picnic there, okay?"

"It's perfect!" Sora exclaimed, standing up quickly. It was, indeed, most beautiful. The cherry tree was stunning, and the spot was shaded by it. Sora ran over to it and sat down, smiling brightly. He called for Riku to come over; he complied.

"So, Sora, did you actually make the stuff in there?" Riku asked, crossing his legs when he sat down.

"U-uh, yeah, I did."

Riku frowned. "Well, let's just hope it's not poisonous then."

"Riku!" Sora hit his shoulder, but in a somewhat playful manner.

Riku smirked as he pulled out one of the sandwiches and began to eat it. "Heh. I'm not poisoned yet." He finished one half of the sandwich. "Hmm…it's actually not that bad." The sandwich was now completely gone. "Hey, Sora, that was actually pretty good."

"Really?" said Sora, wide-eyed. He had been so worried! After all, one cannot forget the horrid tragedy that occurred when Sora attempted to make soup when he was seven. No, no, you could not. Set the whole house on fire, he did.

"Sure it is," said Riku, ruffling Sora's hair. "Go ahead and eat, too, Sora, I bet you're plum starvin' by now. We all know what a glutton you are."

Sora chuckled and picked up a sandwich. "We have lemonade, too—and chips and watermelon, Riku. Everything you need for a picnic."

"That's perfect, Sora, just perfect."

And so then…they had the perfect picnic.

* * *

They were nearly done eating now, and Sora's back was turned to Riku for the moment. Riku smiled softly as he glanced at the brunet. His heartbeat began to quicken, and he swallowed down the lump in his throat. 

_All right,_ Riku decided in thought, _I'm just going to get it over with already. I'm going to tell Sora, and that's that._

Riku reached out a hand to touch Sora, but just then, his head began to scream again, and he felt undeniable pain surge throughout his entire body. His hand was left in mid-air.

Suddenly, a person ran up to Sora. It was that…other Rikku or whatever. Riku's hand fell down to his side limply. That high-pitched voice was still screaming inside his head, and he felt like it would deafen him.

"Sora!" Rikku shouted as she ran up to the brunet, and slid down onto his picnic blanket.

"Hey there, Rikku!" Sora greeted cheerfully.

"Whatcha doin', Sora?" She furrowed her brows together, confused. "Are you having a picnic by yourself?"

Sora looked around. Riku…was gone. Sora's eyes widened slightly. He sighed exasperatedly. _Why do you just wander off all the time, Riku?_ he asked in thought. He then turned back to Rikku and smiled. "No, of course not. I was supposed to meet up with a friend, but they still haven't come. Hey, do you want some, Rikku?"

Rikku smiled brightly. "Sure!"

* * *

Rikku's mother had called her to leave a few minutes ago, and then Sora was left there on his picnic blanket all alone. 

To be honest, he was getting quite tired of Riku always taking off, not even telling him where he was going. He was being so secretive lately. Like what about the time they had gone to the island recently? Before that, Riku had just wandered off, and told Sora he could not tell him where he had been. Why would he not tell Sora? Why was he holding things back? What…was wrong with Riku?

And then something dawned on Sora. _Maybe he's trying to figure out what he's supposed to do here on Earth?_ he thought. _Maybe Riku's almost figured it out!_ Hope was in Sora's heart now, and he jumped up, adrenaline pumping through his veins. It would be so wonderful if that were true! And then—and then Riku would be able to stay here as a human again!

_Hmm…though I _would_ miss his angel wings,_ Sora thought. He then laughed aloud at the mere thought of it. He would not care if Riku no longer had his wings—he just wanted the silver-haired boy to walk the earth as an actual human again. Sora sighed dreamily.

But then again…perhaps Riku was not working on his "mission" at all. It could be something entirely different. _Then what…is he keeping from me? _thought Sora. _Y-you have to stay here, Riku._ But then Sora came to the horrifying truth. "I-I…I can't live, with or without you," he whispered quietly. **(2)**

Despite his thoughts, Sora gathered up the remains of the picnic and headed off to search for Riku. After all, he _did_ need to find the boy, wherever he may be. He decided to head home first—because perhaps Riku had decided to go there and surprise Sora when he returned. Yeah…that must be it.

Sora quickly rushed home and the door flew open as he ran in. But too bad for poor little Sora, Marluxia was there and bombarded him with questions upon questions. "So what is your favorite flower? Do you like roses? Pansies? Hydrangeas? Lilies? Lilacs? Oh, there are so many to choose! What is your favorite rose color? Of course, red is an obvious pick—"

"Marluxia, shut up!" Sora shouted, trying to get away from the flower freak. He did manage to get away, but ran into Reno instead.

"Sora, whoa, whatcha rushing so much there for? One would think you'd seen a ghost or something," said Reno.

_Not exactly,_ Sora thought with a hint of amusement. After all, Riku was _not_ a ghost. "Eh?" Sora said, somewhat dumbstruck.

Reno laughed. "Sora, do you know what tomorrow is?"

"What?" said Sora, still somewhat dumbly.

He had not expected to run into Reno like this…he needed to find Riku. He needed to see the boy again; see his warm smile and his soft aquamarine eyes—he just wanted to see him again so badly.

He had missed him so badly for five years now…and finally he had him again. It was all too wonderful. But he felt like—every minute not spent with Riku was a wasted moment. After all, he did not know how much longer he left with Riku. True, the boy could perhaps end up staying here—but Sora did not know this for sure, so he needed to make sure that he spent as much time with Riku as possible.

So Sora felt desperate. Why was Reno talking to him? Why would he not stop? For some reason, Sora felt panicked—like he needed to find Riku right away—or else something terrible may happen. He was not sure why he felt this way—but he did, and he could not ignore it. Truthfully, it could be untrue, and that nothing was really wrong at all. But Sora could just _not_ shake off this overwhelming feeling of dread.

"Tomorrow is the best day ever!" Reno announced, bringing Sora back down to Earth.

He looked up at the redhead bewildered, shaking his head back and forth. "W-why?" he asked, blinking several times.

"Oho, you shall have to wait and find out, my dearest Sora!" was all Reno said before he ran off to go torture Kadaj more.

Sora sighed, hanging his head slightly. No one told him anything. What on earth was Reno planning _now_? He knew it was not Reno's birthday tomorrow, so he could not be excited about that—but then what was it? But Sora shook his head, shaking away those thoughts. After all, he needed to find Riku—and immediately the sense of dread crashed down on him like a giant wave once more. He quickly ran up the stairs and into his room.

But Riku was not there.

Sora began to feel panicked again. Where was Riku? Why was he not here? Why did he always leave Sora alone? And then a horrifying thought struck Sora. Perhaps…perhaps Riku had been sent back up to Heaven! Maybe that was what had happened. But it horrified Sora so much he could not bear to think of it.

"It can't be true," Sora told himself. "It's impossible!" And Sora fled from his room and went back outside. He had to find Riku! He was here somewhere—Sora knew it. He was not gone. He had not been sent back up to Heaven. It was not true. Sora knew it deep down in his heart.

But truthfully…there was doubt in Sora's heart as well, and he could not shrug off this horrid feeling.

He searched everywhere. He went back to the park they had been, to the movies, to the ice skating rink, to where they had roller skated—but Riku was nowhere to be found. Sora went everywhere he could possibly think of—he even went back to the island. But yet again, Riku was not there.

Sora was distraught now.

It was like it was repeating itself all over again—the time Riku had hidden from Sonja, but he was not where Sora had left him. Thankfully that time, Riku ended up back in Sora's house again. But this time Riku was not there. Sora even went back a second time to check and make sure he had not missed the silver-haired boy. But Sora had been right the first time.

Sora fell down to the ground, gripping his head. "Where are you, Riku?" he cried out. "Where did you go? You can't have left me here all alone again." Sora felt desperate now. It felt like he was running out of time. It felt like with each new hour that passed by, it was more and more likely that Riku _could_ have really gone back to Heaven. And for good this time. After all, neither boy knew how long Riku was to stay here on Earth.

But then Sora suddenly remembered something—realizing where he was. He was very close to the graveyard where Riku had been buried. Gasping slightly, Sora stood back up and headed in the direction of the graveyard. He felt like he was being drawn to it by some unknown force.

In no time, he reached the graveyard. It was a vastly large graveyard, and Sora did not exactly remember where Riku's grave was. He could not even exactly remember the last time he had visited Riku's grave. It had…been a while. Sora had stopped going because every time he visited Riku's grave, it made him so sad he could not stand it.

Sora searched through the graveyard, whispering, "Riku, where could you be?"

After a while, Sora felt like he was in an endless maze—it seemed like every grave he looked at was not Riku's, and he did not see the silver-haired angel anywhere in sight. And then Sora turned to his left. There he saw Riku, down on his knees, his wings sprouting forth from his back which was bloody, and dozens of feathers were lying around him, being blown by the wind into the air and away.

He cried out, "Don't take me yet! It's too soon, damn it!"

Sora reeled back, surprised. He hid behind a tombstone, his sapphire eyes peering out from behind to stare at Riku. What was wrong with him? "R-Riku?" he whispered quietly.

* * *

**1 - **Bwahaha. That is one of the funniest songs ever. If you have not heard it already, give it a listen. Seriously. ;) 

**2 – **Ooh! Ooh! This is one of the lyrics from the song "With or Without You"—and It fit perfectly with the situation. xD I adore that line. When Bono sings it so passionately, my heart swoons. LOL I love him so darn much. X-X/XP/XD (Ooh! Several emotions! How strange…)

**Next chapter: **Reno's party finally arrives! Well—I think it will, anyway—I don't have the next chapter written like I usually do. Not even a part of it. So I'm not really sure what will happen next chapter. But the cliffhanger shall be resolved, I'll tell you that. ;)

All right, you guys, that's it. I hope you enjoyed it. (And sorry it was shorter! The next chapter will be longer, I promise. :D) As I said before, it is _extremely_ different than when I first wrote it. But to be honest, I quite like it this way. I like the whole picnic part—which wasn't in it first.

Also, I plan to update this every other week, alternating if with my other fic. Updates will usually be at like 2:00 in the morning on Saturday (eastern time). Because that is before I go to bed, and I tend to post a new chappy right before I go to bed. xD Strange, isn't it?

Well, see ya next time! And don't forget to **review**! Only two away from a hundred, people! –Cheers-


	10. Oh, How Merry We Can Be!

Bwahaha! I am back, baby! Here is the tenth chapter—halfway done. I do believe this fic will have twenty chapters, though I am not entirely sure. We shall see. Well, onto the usual!

**Summary:** Sora Hikari is a normal 16-year-old trying to survive through school, friends, crazed ex-girlfriends (or they _think_ they were his girlfriend) and stalkers. Or at least he thinks he is normal…

**Disclaimer:** I only own Sonja! And the crazy incoherent plot. All right? Satisfied? No? Well, I know I'm not. I will one day own KH and rule the world! –Cough- …Well, in my dreams, anyway,

**Warning:** This fic will contain **yaoi** (boyxboy love). If you do not care for boyxboy love, I suggest you leave. This fic will also contain **language**.

**Reviews:** Thank you all so much for the reviews you left. :) I have plenty of new readers, and also a few of the old ones came back. I am so happy. :D I just wished more of the old readers had come back. Well, maybe they did…but didn't leave a review. :( Please, leave a review if you enjoy this! And I like people to review every chapter, as well. Not just for the whole story, peeps. XD

**A/N:**Meh. Not much to really say about this chapter. It was a lot of fun to write, and that's all. X) I hope you all enjoy this!

* * *

Chapter 10. Oh, How Merry We Can Be!

-o-

"_The real question is can ducks walk on the moon if their feet were made of cement?" _–**A friend of mine**

* * *

Sora searched through the graveyard, whispering, "Riku, where could you be?"

After a while, Sora felt like he was in an endless maze—it seemed like every grave he looked at was not Riku's, and he did not see the silver-haired angel anywhere in sight. And then Sora turned to his left. There he saw Riku, down on his knees, his wings sprouting forth from his back, which was bloody with dozens of feathers lying around him, being blown by the wind slightly.

He cried out, "Don't take me yet! It's too soon, damn it!"

Sora reeled back, surprised. He hid behind a tombstone, his sapphire eyes peering out from behind to stare at Riku. What was wrong with him? "R-Riku?" he whispered quietly.

Riku then screamed at the top of his voice. A cry of pain so horrid, that Sora felt pain as well. He watched, horrified. He wanted to run out to Riku and hold him, but he felt like he was glued to the ground, and his feet felt like lead. Riku's wings were then gone, once more in his back.

And then Riku passed out.

"Riku!" Sora cried as he ran to the boy. He slid on the ground as he reached him, and placed Riku's head on his knees. Sora was so confused and worried, he was not exactly sure as to what he should do. He looked around, hopeless. "Riku, what's happening?" Sora chocked as he spoke. And then Riku's eyes fluttered open. "Riku! What happened?!" Sora asked urgently.

"Huh?" Riku groaned as he sat back up. He looked at Sora, confused. "S-Sora? Is that you?"

Sora nodded. "Of course it's me. Who else could it be?"

Riku rubbed his head. "I don't know. I just feel a little…weird, to be honest. My head hurts."

"What happened?" Sora asked.

Riku knitted his brows together. "I-I…I don't know. I don't really remember anything. The last thing I remember is that you and I were having a picnic."

Sora's hopeful smile fell. It was replaced by a concerned frown. "Y-you don't remember…anything?" _How could that be?_ Sora thought. _It's been hours since he left me there…_

Riku stood up. "Man, my head hurts. Anyway, Sora, let's head on home. I feel like I need to go to bed. I'm pretty tired."

Sora stood up as well. "All right," he answered.

Sora was still very worried. What had happened? If Riku did not remember what happened, then how would either of them ever know? Sora followed after Riku, but he wondered why the silver-haired boy was acting so…calm. After all, he had passed out, and he said his head was hurting. So…what had happened?

But Sora's question would remain forever unanswered.

* * *

It was the next morning, and when Sora's eyes fluttered open, he fell out of his bed in shock. He stared up at his ceiling in utter disbelief. Was he hallucinating or…was that _really_ there? Sora rubbed at his eyes. Yup, still there. He then pinched himself. Nope, he was not still asleep. So…a flamingo with tap shoes and sunglasses was hanging from his ceiling. Yeah.

Sora stood up and rubbed the back of his head. He glanced back at his bed, where Riku was still sleeping. He smiled down at him—but there was worry and sadness behind the smile. What had happened yesterday? Sora was not sure. But he was pretty sure that it was not a good thing whatsoever.

Sora went to take a shower and get dressed. He mumbled about tap dancing flamingos that wore sunglasses as he did so. When he came out, squeaky clean, he noticed that Riku was still asleep. He did not dare wake the boy—he needed his sleep after all. He exited his room and went into the hallway, only to be glomped by someone. It was Sonja.

"Oh, Sora, we are going to have the bestest day today!" she announced as she got up off of Sora. She then proceeded to do a little dance. "Oh, how merry we can be! Oh, the world is spinning 'round for me!" she sang.

"What on earth is that?" Sora asked, dazed.

Sonja giggled. "Oh, nothing, really! I just made it up. Nothin' to it, really."

Sora merely groaned, shaking his head. He mumbled, "Breakfast," as he trudged down the stairs.

Sonja surpassed him and skipped down the stairs merrily. "Pancakes and bacon and eggs for breakfast today, Sora! Your favorite!"

When Sora reached the kitchen, he was thoroughly shocked to see Leon, Cloud, Roxas, and Axel all sitting there. He blinked several times. He noticed that Cloud was sitting across from Axel. Sora suppressed the urge to laugh. Really, Cloud was trying to give Axel a chance, but to be quite sure it was still hard for the blond. Sora sat down on the other side of Axel, when Sonja served him a big stack of pancakes. Sora grinned and dove in.

Sonja sat down beside Leon. She grinned around at everyone evilly, and then her grin transformed into a warm smile. "Isn't this nice?" she said. "All of us eating breakfast here together like a real family."

Leon grunted. "It…is nice."

Sonja looked over expectantly at Cloud. He froze under her gaze. He attempted to ignore it for quite some time, but finally, it got the better of him. "What do you want me to say?!" he asked.

Sonja did not answer, but just continued to star at Cloud. He fidgeted nervously. Finally he muttered, "W-whatever. I suppose it's not too bad. I mean…it feels sort of nice."

Sonja beamed. She was in a very good mood. They continued to eat their breakfast in peace, and no fights emerged—though once Cloud cast a dirty look at Axel. And suddenly, someone burst through the door. "Hello, all you good people!" the person greeted.

"Hello, Reno!" Sonja greeted, waving enthusiastically. "Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Yes I have, thanks, though, Sonja!" said Reno as he sauntered into the kitchen. "Today's the big day, y'know."

"Of course, Reno!" said Sonja, grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, I can hardly wait!"

"Wait for what?!" Sora screamed. _No one tells me anything, damn it!_ he thought.

"Why, Reno's party, dear," said Sonja, as if Sora should already know this.

"Oh, shit," Sora muttered under his breath.

You see—Sora had completely forgotten that Reno was going to have a party, and surely it would be a catastrophe. Reno had attempted to hold two parties before, and both of them—had been horrendous for Sora. At first, the parties had not been that bad—but then everyone really got drunk on the alcohol there, especially Sonja, which obviously meant doom for Sora. And then Cloud got drunk. A drunk Cloud was almost worse than Sonja… Leon was the only one out of the whole lot of them that could hold their liquor.

"Is it really that time already?" Sora asked, downcast. He could almost_see_ the storm cloud looming over his head, and feel the drops of water fall on his head. Yes, he could _almost_ see it…

"Yep!" Reno answered. "Can you believe it?! This is seriously going to be the bestest party ever!" And then Reno skipped to the door and was gone.

Sora watched him leave. This was when he noticed an extremely tired-looking Riku trudge down the stairs. He nearly looked like a zombie… He yawned as he made it down the stairs entirely. Sora began to worry slightly as he cast glances at his mother. It did not_seem_ like she could see him, or else perhaps she was ignoring him, or she had not seen him yet. Either way, Sora was not prepared to take his chances.

He stood up from his seat and said, "I am full. Thank you for the meal." He then began to walk towards where Riku was. But then Sora noticed something strange. He was moving his legs and arms back and forth, but he was not progressing forward. Not even by an inch. He continued to move his legs and arms back and forth. Still, not even a centimeter. And _then_ Sora noticed that something was holding him by the back of his collar. He growled slightly. "Mom! What the heck are ya doing?!" he demanded.

Sonja merely giggled, covering her mouth to attempt to stifle them. Sora really _was_cute when he was angry. "I am holding you back, dear, of course," she answered.

"I know that!" Sora shouted. "But _why_ are you doing it?!"

Sora giggled slightly louder. She removed her hand. It was really not working, anyway. But she did not let go of Sora. "Why, no reason in particular, Sora, dear," she answered, her eyes full of mirth. Though Sora could not see this, of course. But he had a pretty good guess of what she looked like.

Sora swung his arms in a circular motion rapidly. "Lemme go!" he screamed. He was leaning quite forward now, and if Sonja were to let go…

"As you wish!" said Sonja, letting go of Sora's collar. Of course, this resulted in him falling flat on his face.

"Ow!" Sora exclaimed when he hit the hard floor. "Why do we have wooden floors instead of carpet?" he groaned as he stood back up, rubbing his forehead.

Sonja shrugged. "It was like this when we bought it, Sora." She then added, "Are you all right, honey?"

"Never better," Sora grumbled as he trudged to where Riku was.

Sonja skipped back to the kitchen merrily, singing, "Oh, how merry we can be! The world is spinning 'round for me!"

…Sora was beginning to detest that song.

Riku was sitting on the floor tucked in a corner behind the stairs. He yawned yet again. Sora realized that the boy was _very_ tired.

"Riku," Sora whispered as he poked the boy.

Riku shook his head and looked up at Sora. "Sora? Is zat you?" he asked, his voice muffled by yet another yawn.

"Of course it is," Sora grumbled, helping Riku stand up. Sora then walked to the door and motioned for Riku to follow. "I'm leaving!" Sora called out.

"Be back by 6:30!" Sonja called back. "The party's at 7:05!"

Sora furrowed his brows together. "Do I dare ask…why 7:05?"

"No reason!" Sonja called back out merrily.

Riku staggered to the door where Sora was, and Sora helped Riku to support himself. They then went outside. As soon as he was sure Sonja would not hear him, (for she had _freakishly_ good hearing—sometimes Sora swore she was a bat…) he spoke harshly to Riku. "Riku! What is wrong with you?! First of all, I find you passed out at your grave yesterday, and now you're like a walking zombie! What is going on?!" he demanded.

Riku gripped at his head. "Hey, not so loud, okay? You're giving me a headache."

This was obviously the wrong thing to say. Sora's face contorted in anger. "What? So I'm just a lot of noise, now? I'm concerned for my best friend in the whole world—I'm worried something's SERIOUSLY wrong with you. But I'm just giving you a headache, I suppose? Riku, you can be such an asshole sometimes." And Sora turned on his heel, and took off running.

Riku felt his headache lift as soon as the brunet was gone. He shook his head as he stared after Sora. He plopped down on the ground and groaned. "Oh, what have I done?" he thought aloud. "I really am an asshole."

Sora was nearly out of sight now, but Riku knew what he had to do, so he took off after the brunet. In a few minutes, he caught up with him. Sora realized that Riku was right behind him, but he paid him no mind. Riku was a jackass and all that jazz, after all.

"Sora—" Riku began, but was cut off by Sora.

"Forget it, Riku! I don't feel like talking to you now!" Sora shouted at the silver-haired boy.

Riku merely picked up the pace of his running and was now beside Sora. "Sora!" he called out. "I'm sorry—I've just been feeling really weird since yesterday. And I can't even remember what the hell happened. So I'm really frustrated."

Sora stopped running. Riku skidded to a halt after him. Sora looked down at his feet as he spoke to Riku. "I-it's all right. I was just concerned about you, Riku."

Riku sighed, placing his hands on Sora's shoulders. "You don't have to say anything more, Sora. I was a jerk. Just because I'm frustrated and have a tremendous headache does not mean I can be mean to you."

Sora smiled up at Riku. He then frowned. He sat down on the ground. Riku did the same. "So, Riku…you don't remember _anything_ that happened yesterday, after our picnic, that is."

"No," Riku answered.

Sora took in a deep breath. Should he tell Riku what he saw…? He was quite concerned over this, and he honestly was scared as hell. What should he do? Sora swallowed the lump that had made itself so evident in his throat, and then quickly said, "I-I saw something—b-before you passed out, Riku."

Riku's eyes widened at this, to be sure. He was silent for a moment. "And what did you see?" he asked softly, barely even audible.

Sora was petrified now. Why had he even told Riku? He must be insane. But he had dove into this, so he had tell Riku. "Y-your…your wings were out, and some of them had fallen out and were flying away in the wind…a-and…and blood was dripping from your back, and your shirt was ripped, and you were on your knees, before your grave—and you cried out painfully before you passed out."

Riku's eyes widened even more, as the memories of yesterday suddenly came back in a flood to him, making his head hurt intensely. He had a massive headache again, and he gripped at his head, groaning. "A-ahh!" he gasped, as he sank down to his knees.

"What is it?" Sora asked, worried.

"It hurts," Riku hissed.

Sora knelt down beside Riku and rubbed his back. Riku instantly felt better. He realized that…Sora's touch was like a healing touch. Riku's aquamarine eyes gazed back up at the brunet. Sora still looked immensely worried.

"Riku?" he asked quietly.

Riku stood back up. "I feel better now, Sora—thanks."

"Y-you're welcome," said Sora.

Riku then took Sora's hand. And then they headed out to the island again.

* * *

It was now 5:57, and Sora and Riku just lay back on the beach, resting. They had dueled again. **Many** times. Obviously, Riku won—for the silver-haired teen _always_ won. Sora had pouted over this for a while. But Riku poked him until the brunet smiled again. Riku sighed as he crossed his arms behind his head after glancing at his watch.

"Sora, it's nearly six, so we better get back now. Your mom'll flip if you're late—after all the party starts at 7:05 sharp," said Riku, smirking.

Sora sat up, groaning slightly. "Oh, tonight is going to be awful," he said as he stood up. Riku did the same. "Whenever Reno has attempted a party, it has always ended up disastrous. They all get drunk. And they're going to spike all the drinks or whatnot—and then I'll get drunk too. Oh, it will be a horrid mess." Sora shook his head and stared Riku directly in his eyes.

"Riku…" he began softly, "I'm worried about you, though. Are you sure you're all right? I mean, why were you bleeding and why did feathers come out?"

Riku brushed past Sora, hitting his shoulder slightly. "Can we talk about this later?" he muttered.

Sora hung his head—Riku was keeping things from him again. Why…was he always so difficult?

* * *

The two boys had just made it back to Sora's house, and Sora had only entered the house for but three seconds flat before Sonja glomped him. And Selphie. And Reno. Basically, Sora was flattened to the floor like a pancake. Riku watched in horror. And then Selphie spotted him. Riku backed away slowly, a nervous— _very_—nervous grin on his face. How was she still able to see him?!

But it was too late, Selphie ran to Riku, calling, "Soku!"

Sonja and Reno looked at each other in confusion. "Who's Soku?" they asked the other simultaneously. And then they burst out laughing at the same time, as well. For they thought it was_ ultra_ hilarious, of course. So then Soku was forgotten.

Riku was fending off Selphie outside, as Sora trudged into the kitchen and opened up a pack of Pixie Stix. **(1)** After all, he wanted sugar. Though if you were to get technical, Pixie Stix did not even have sugar in them… _It doesn't make any flippin' sense to me,_ thought Sora. _About Riku _and_ Pixie Stix! How can they not have sugar in them?! I always get a sugar high off of 'em!_

…And so it would seem that Sora was lost in deep thought…

"It is now 6:45, darling!" Sonja sang, placing an arm around Sora's shoulders. "The party is but twenty minutes away! How lovely!"

"Mom! Please, detach yourself from me!" Sora asked, trying to pry said arms off of him. But it was to no avail. It was **impossible**. It were as if she were to stuck to him by glue…

"Oh, I would if I could, Sora!" said Sonja, beaming, her arm still slung around his shoulder.

Sora furrowed his brows together. "What do you mean if you _could_?!" asked Sora, his eyes widening.

"Because I was putting up decorations with glue earlier, and it would seem…that I got glue on my arm, Sora dear," said Sonja, grinning. She then attempted to lift her arm, but it stayed put. Believe it or not, she did all this with a wide grin still on her face.

Sora shook with anger. To be quite sure, he was shaking with _rage_. So obviously, he was fuming. Fuming _horribly_. Tsk. It looks like someone needs anger management… Oh, any second now, Sora will burst like a volcano. Oh, smoke is coming out of his ears! Be forewarned and take cover! Behind the couch is a particularly good spot.

"HOW COULD YOU DO SUCH A THING?!" Sora shouted, trying to wrench himself free from Sonja.

…And there you go.

"Oh, Sora, don't be so angry. It will be fun!" said Sonja, beaming. How could she be so happy about this!?

_Well, she's insane. So there ya go,_ thought Sora. _Speaking of which, I bet she…_ "You did this on purpose!" Sora suddenly declared, pointing an accusing finger at Sonja.

Sonja looked completely innocent, and taken aback, to be sure. "Oh, Sora, I have done nothing of the sort! What would _ever_ give you that idea?"

"Just guess," said Sora darkly. "Well, what the hell are we gonna do? We can't stay like this all night!"

Sonja waved a dismissal (her _other_) hand at him. "Oh, silly Sora. After the party I'll just go to the store and get the solution to take this off. It'll be a snap 'kay?" And on cue, Sonja winked.

Sora smacked a hand to his forehead. "I have already been dreading this party, Mom! There is _no_way I am going to go through this whole thing attached to you! You can go to the store now!"

Sonja tsked at Sora, pointing to the clock. "Sora, you are a baka **(2)**."

"A what?" Sora asked.

"A fool, Sora," she clarified. "We do not have _time_ to go to the store now! The party will be starting," she pointed to the clock again, "in just thirteen minutes! We wouldn't have time, dearest!"

"I hate you!" Sora declared.

"And I love you, my pet!" Sonja giggled. "You are like my little pet now, Sora, for you will be following me around everywhere, for you shall be forced to." Another giggle. "Oh, I can hardly believe it! You know, the only pet we ever _did_have was your Hamster, Philly."

Riku had come back in now. _Philly?_ he thought with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, no, please don't," Sora begged under his breath, but it was too late.

"Philly was the best hamster anyone could ask for! He was white and gray, and was completely adorable and sweet. But I was upstairs, reading glorious shonen-ai manga, when suddenly I hear a loud cry. Sora, not knowing what a microwave was, had put Philly in there," said Sonja dramatically. "But Philly will remain in our hearts forever! WE LOVE YOU, PHILLY!" Sonja cried out, bending down on her knees, dragging Sora right along with her.

"Mom!" he scolded.

Meanwhile, even though he felt sad for Philly, Riku could not help but want to laugh. After all…it _was_ humorous, if you thought about it…

"Oh, honestly, what are you getting so worked up about this?" Sonja asked, sighing.

"Because you dragged me to the ground on my knees, you insufferable woman!" Sora clarified.

Sonja gasped, reeling backwards. Sora fell forward, hitting his head on the ground. He was most certainly _not_liking this current situation. He most certainly was not. Not one bit, I tell you, not one **bit**. "Oh, Sora, how could you call me that!" And then Sonja began to cry.

Sora looked horrified. He never saw his mom cry—and whenever it did happen, it was horrible sight, to be sure. It always made…Sora feel so bad. He frowned as he looked up at his mother. Then his gaze went to the floor, for he could not stand to look at her any longer. He felt…too ashamed.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I should have never said that, Mom. Will you forgive me?" he pleaded.

Sonja looked up, and no trace of tears were to be found. She grinned widely before she threw her other arm around Sora. "Oh, Sora, you're just the bestest! I love you!"

And so Sora was glomped to the ground yet again…and his mother had not even been crying. She had tricked him…yet again. _But I'm not going to ever fall for it again! _Sora swore in thought. _Nope, it won't happen!_

Well, that's what_ he_ thinks.

* * *

The party had started, and by now, a lot of people were here. Well, not a lot of people, but actually _everyone_ that was invited were here. No one wanted to miss the opportunity to attend one of Reno's party. And Sora was quite shocked to see that almost _everyone_ arrived at exactly…7:05. It was like Sonja had a secret code with people about weird times and being freakishly on time.

Sora, obviously, was not having a good time. Normally at Reno's parties, he tried to sneak away slowly from Reno and Sonja, and flee away up to his room and lock the door, _but_since Sonja was a complete and utter idiot, and had glued her arm to Sora's shoulders, that was most definitely **not** an option.

Sora hated life.

He hated everything in it.

Sonja, Reno, Selphie, Kadaj, Cloud, Roxas, Axel, Squall…Leon…whatever…Wakka, Naminé, Kairi, most **definitely**Kairi, Tidus, Rik—

No, stop right there. Of _course_Sora did not hate Riku. But the silver-haired boy was not leaving the best impression on him right now. Since he kept lurking in the shadows, (and by lurking, I _mean_ lurking!), and snickering at Sora's misfortunes. Sora banged his head against the snack table. Sonja looked at him, worried.

"Are you really bothered by it that much, sweetie?" she asked. "The party's only just beginning, and we haven't even really gone over to the bar yet! It will be opening in five minutes!" she announced sweetly

Sora grumbled under his breath. His hands were shaking in the air. "That is precisely the point!" he ground out.

"No it's not, dear," said Sonja simply, as if that were a fact. Which in her mind, it undoubtedly was. She then skipped away merrily, dragging Sora with her wherever she went. Oh, this was not good… I do believe Sora's head will erupt any minute now—for surely he was beginning to look like a volcano. His was most certainly red with anger… Tsk, tsk.

* * *

And hour later, but to Sora, it seemed like forever…eternity. He wished he could be swallowed up by a black hole and never reemerge. He just wanted to…leave.

And to Sora, the most depressing thing of all was that he could not talk to Riku freely. After all, wherever Sora went, Sonja followed, and vice versa. And the silver-haired angel was in quite a mischievous mood tonight, as well. He kept taking people's belongings, and would make them invisible, as well as himself. But Selphie caught Riku (or Soku) with some man's hat, and she snatched it back from him, lecturing him for a good fifteen minutes about how bad stealing was.

And so Riku was about to take someone's glass of punch, when the person stared at him, blinking. "What are you doing?" asked the person.

_What?!_ Sora thought. _Another person can see Riku?! Oh, what is the world coming to?! An end, surely!_

"W-what?" Riku stuttered, taken aback.

The person blinked up at him. This was when Riku realized it was a guy. For he had not paid attention before, because he was so shocked that someone could see him! This made THREE other people besides Sora! What the hell?! "I said, what are you doing? As in the sense, why are you taking my drink?"

And then Riku realized that this person was Kadaj. He looked at Kadaj in horror. _Oh, crap!_ thought Riku. _Why can everyone see me?! And now Kadaj, too! Can he not remember me? Is he that dense? Who __**else**__looks so darn similar like him, that they could pass off as his twin?! _Riku laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. (He tends to do this a lot, no?) "Ahaha. N-nothing, I was doing nothing. I just thought your punch…was mine. I'll be going now," said Riku, backing away slowly.

"Wait!" said Kadaj, darting out a hand to grasp Riku's arm, holding Riku.

Riku looked down at Kadaj nervously. If he got out of this alive, he would go and hide in a corner where no one would find him… After all, it was no longer safe to just go around freely like this. And Tidus was getting suspicious to who this, "Soku" person was that Selphie kept mention. Someone was jealous, surely…

"W-what?" asked Riku, gulping.

"Don't I…know you?" Kadaj asked, furrowing his fine silver brows together.

_Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh __**FUCK!!**_ thought Riku, horrified. Sweat rolled down his face, and he felt lightheaded. Kadaj _did_ recognize him! The world was surely going to come to an end! Like a big explosion…or something. Riku saw it happen before his very eyes. He then shook his head, the image evaporating into thin air. "W-what?" seemed to be about the only thing Riku could say this day.

"Are you…Yazoo?" Kadaj asked, still inspecting Riku. "Geez, I never thought I'd see, my horrid cousin, ever again."

Riku was relieved, but then worried at the same time. After all, Kadaj did not think it was Riku, but he thought Riku was someone else. And his cousin, no less. "W-what?" said Riku. Yes, I do believe Riku is a broken record. Someone, _please_ fix him. Otherwise, I do believe the poor boy will say 'what' a hundred times or more before the night is through.

Kadaj (who seemed to have gone to the bar earlier) slung an arm around Riku's shoulder, and began to reminisce about the past when they played with each other every day. The sweat rolled down Riku's forehead by the truckloads. Basically…the boy_ was_ sweat. All right, he is now a broken record _and_ sweat. Nice, Riku.

Meanwhile, Sonja dragged Sora away from the situation at hand to the bar. Sora smacked a hand to his forehead mentally. _Oh, just _great! Sora thought. _Now the night is really going to go bad!_

Sora was in quite a sour mood, indeed.

* * *

The night was still young, and everyone was still here…many of them drunk, but they were still here. And out of all of them, Sonja, of course, was the drunkest. Sora got down on his knees and clasped his hands together. "Oh, please, God, just let me survive this night! And maybe you could do something? Just get her to shut up!"

Sonja looked down at Sora, confused. "Are you trying to make deals with God again, dear?" she asked.

Sora muttered something inaudible under his breath. He then said, "Yes, mother dearest."

Sonja shook her head. "Sora, you should know by now it won't work," she said. And then she laughed.

"What's so funny?" Sora asked, eyebrow raised.

Sonja continued to laugh. She raised her shoulders, shaking her head. "I don't really know."

Sora fell down, hitting his head on the ground. He was then dragged to a pedestal that Sonja was running to, and had just gotten on top of. "Hello, all you good people!" she shouted, her voice slurred.

Sora_did_smack a hand to his forehead now. "Oh, no, not a speech!" he pleaded under his breath. "Especially not a drunken one!" he added.

A thing about Sonja…was that she particularly liked to make speeches. Sora always dreaded this. _Another_ thing about Sonja, was that she tended to make speeches when she was drunk. It happened the majority of the time, anyway. And, to be sure…Sonja tended to say, embarrassing things when she was drunk, particularly when she was making a speech. So, it was quite easy to see why Sora dreaded this so much.

"As you good people now!" -Insert hiccup here- "This is the third party our sweet Reno has held! Now Reno!" she exclaimed, pointing her index finger in the air dramatically. The crowd "ahhed". Sonja then continued. "Is a wonderful boy! He feels like my fourth son, and Kadaj feels like my fifth, and Leon my seventh, and Axel my eighth. I felt like I had a ninth son, as well—but he has passed on, and we all deeply miss him."

Sora looked up at his mother. Obviously, she meant Riku. There was silence for a moment, and Sonja stood perfectly still, not staggering or swaying or hiccupping—there was just complete silence for a minute. And then Sonja spoke again. "As I was saying, this party is held by the wonderful Reno—whom, as we all know it, is a fantastic boy!" At this, loud applause erupted. Sonja then held up her glass, "So let us all party 'til daybreak, people!"

Sonja was about to leave the podium, when suddenly she seemed to remember that Sora was there. She grinned widely, an _evil_grin. She pulled him up beside her, and shouted out, "Oi! My good people, have you met my darlingest son in the whole world?!" She then hugged him tightly. "His name is Sora! And currently, the two of us are stuck together with glue! Now, party on, my good people!"

With more loud applause, Sonja staggered off the podium, and actually fell down on her face, taking Sora with her. And she actually fell with quite a bit of grace—for someone as drunk as she was, anyway. She stood up with just as much as grace, and dragged Sora over to some chairs, and the two sat down. They sat in silence for quite some time, and Sonja turned her head to look at the dazzling stars. More silence…and then Sonja's head dropped down to look at the ground.

"Sora…" she began quietly.

"What?" asked Sora, cocking his head to the side.

"You're a good boy."

Sora stared at his mother in disbelief. He never really—got to see her act this serious without any humor behind it—_especially_when she was this drunk. It was… really surprising, to be honest. "Thanks, Mom," he finally said—quietly.

"You're welcome," said Sonja, just as quietly.

And the two continued to sit there in silence—and Sora thought it would be a memory to stay in his heart forever.

* * *

It was the next morning, and Sora had fallen asleep beside his mother on the soft grass in their backyard. He had fallen asleep about an hour after the fireworks had gone off. Sora thought the worst part of the entire night was the fireworks. Because…well…Axel… Well, let's just not mention it, shall we?

Anyway, Sora and Sonja were still stuck together, for the two had fallen asleep before they could go to the store and pick up something to get the stupid glue off. Sora would forever hate glue now—along with whipped cream. Both of them were evil. _**PURE**_evil! And that was the truth. Yes, Sora knew it.

The sun was slowly rising, when Riku woke up with a start. He looked around at the various people that were still here—asleep: Reno, Axel, Marluxia—and a few others. But thankfully, Kadaj was not. Riku idly wondered where the silver-haired boy had wandered off to, but honestly, he was not that curious, he was just glad the boy was gone. After all, he was sick and tired of playing Yazoo!

"Sora…" Riku mumbled as he got up on his knees, and then stood up. He staggered slightly, but then regained his balance. After all, he had just woken up. "Sora, where are you?" he mumbled softly before he let out a giant yawn. He scratched his arm as he began to walk around the backyard, cans, bottles, empty bags, and various other things crunching under his feet. The backyard, was, in a word…a complete and utter mess.

Riku finally found the brunet behind a bush with Sonja, and the two were completely knocked out. Before Sora had fallen asleep, he had gotten a hold of the spiked punch, and let's just say…that the boy acted quite differently when he was drunk. Riku shook his head, laughing as he bent down toward the brunet boy.

"I love you so darn much, you silly-head," he whispered quietly, laughing slightly. He then swooped down and kissed Sora chastely on the lips. He pulled back, his silver hair hanging down, blocking his vision. His hair tickled Sora's cheeks. The brunet began to laugh.

"R-Riku, s-stop it," he said, still laughing.

Riku gasped and reeled backwards, rolling over his shoulder in a shoulder roll—which ultimately resulting in him hurting his neck. "YEOWTCH!!" Riku yelled out, his neck throbbing. He had hit a beer can, of all things, as well!

"Ack!" Sora exclaimed, jumping up, but then immediately being pulled back down because of Sonja, which ultimately resulted in _him_hitting his head against her elbow. "Oww!" he cried out.

"Sora?" said Riku, puzzled.

"Riku?" said Sora, puzzled.

The two stared at each other for a moment in silence, and then burst out laughing, rolling on the soft grass.

After they had finally calmed down a bit more, and the two's laughter had died, Riku spoke up. "Hey, Sora…when is Sonja ever gonna get that glue off of you two?" Because honestly—it must have been some_amazingly_ super glue, for Sora had tried many different things over the hours of the night previously—and nothing had worked. Not a single on of 'em.

"I don't really know," said Sora, still grinning. And then the grin morphed into an expression of horror. "OH, FUCK!!"

* * *

**1 – **Pixie Stix are such an awesome candy. If you have not eaten them yet, try them. ;)

**2 – **Baka is the Japanese word for fool.

**Next chapter:** Sora attempts to wake Sonja up, Sora finally gets unstuck, and Riku tells Kairi off.

How does Riku tell Kairi off if she isn't one of the people who can see him? Tune in next week!—Actually, two weeks. LOL But anyway, thank you all so much. I love you all. Pixie Stix for reviewers. ;) Remember, please leave a little **review** for a poor writer here! FEED the author!


	11. Stuck in a Sticky Situation

Hello, all you wonderful, wonderful people! Wow…the eleventh chapter. We sure have come a long way, haven't we? XD I just want to say that I am not exactly sure when the next chapter will be posted, because I am suffering from writer's block…only on _this_ story! I cannot write the twelfth chapter, really, and it's darn annoying. X( Argh…anyway, I'll probably post in three or four weeks, but it could still be two weeks, who knows? Maybe I'll get a sudden writing surge. ;) Haha. But anyway it will most likely be three, hope you all can understand!

**Summary:** Sora Hikari is a normal 16-year-old trying to survive through school, friends, crazed ex-girlfriends (or they _think_ they were his girlfriend) and stalkers. Or at least he thinks he is normal…

**Disclaimer:** Oh, come now…if I owned Kingdom Hearts, Riku and Sora would be the main pairing, Kairi would go off with Naminé and leave Riku and Sora alone—Axel would have ended up with Roxas, Zexion and Demyx would have been in the same game…and would have made out a lot…and so on and so forth. Yeah, pretty much looking at the game…I think you can figure out I had no part in making it whatsoever.

**Warning:** This fic will contain **yaoi** (boyxboy love). If you do not care for boyxboy love, I suggest you leave. This fic will also contain **language**.

**Reviews:** Sweet! I love all the reviews you guys leave me…we're just two away from 150! Awesome! You all make me so happy, trust me. :D Honestly, I'm always very nervous and worried whenever I post a new chapter, and when I get new reviews when people say they like certain things in it, it always makes me smile with relief. You people rock. :)

**A/N:**Bah, this chapter is shorter than the others, but it had to be. XD Anyway, it's supposed to be more of a "humorous" chapter, just like the last one. Also, it's a bit more of a filler, but near the end something important happens. Enjoy!

* * *

I'll Be There for You - Chapter 11. Stuck in a Sticky Situation

-o-

"_Music is like candy; we need to throw out the (w)rappers. _–**Unknown **(Please don't be offended. XD)

* * *

Sora grumbled, sending down a death glare at Sonja—though she was still asleep. Whenever she got knocked out drunk, it took her _forever_ to wake up. And Sora found it quite annoying, to be sure. He continued to grumble profanities that Riku was not even able to catch as he glared down at her, crossing his arms. 

And even if she _did_ wake up, she would have a major hangover. And let's just say…that a Sonja with a hangover is not a pretty sight, by any means. No, no…it most certainly was not. Well, Sora decided he might as well be daring. He would wake up his mother no matter what it took. Suddenly, a devious smile spread across Sora's face. After all, Sonja had been waking him up in an evil way for years, so Sora might as well repay her the favor, right?

Sora rubbed his hands together in an evil manner, and Riku backed away slowly. Sora looked rather scary, after all. But this would most certainly be a fine show. Riku grabbed one of the leftover bags of chips and popped it open, munching on them. Yes, it was most definitely going to be a spectacular show.

"WAKE UP!!!" Sora yelled right in Sonja's ear.

She merely rolled over on her side, snoring loudly. Sora was pulled slightly along with her. Sora figured that would not work. "Riku!" he called out to the boy. "Go and get me some cold water, will ya?"

Riku grudgingly stood up to go get the water, leaving his chips behind with a sigh. He may have to take part in the show after all. Riku would have much preferred to be a member of its audience, he most certainly would have. But did that happen? Why, of course not. Riku could never, _ever_ resist Sora. It was impossible. Riku came back with the water, and Sora got that evil glint in his eyes…again. Riku did not like that look. Not one bit.

"Is it ice cold, Riku?" Sora asked, rubbing his hands together in an evil manner…again.

"Yes," Riku answered dully, sitting back down by his beloved chips. He sure had a bad case of the munchies.

"Bully, bully," said Sora, staring at his mother evilly.

"You've seriously flipped your lid," Riku muttered under his breath, stunned.

"What was that?" Sora asked, his evilness and anger immediately directed towards Riku.

Riku backed away slowly, holding his hands up in the air in defeat. "Nothing, darling, nothing. I was just coughing, that was all."

"I thought that's what it was," said Sora, turning his gaze back to his mother. He picked up the bucket in his hand and poured it over her, making sure not to get any on himself—for they still were connected…of course. Sora grinned as he gazed down at his mother. Her lips were twitching slightly. She would wake up any moment now…surely…

Sora's jaw dropped as a whole minute passed by and yet she did not move. "Are you insane?!" he shouted at her. "How can you not wake up after that?! You must be super-human or something." Sora thought over this, puzzled.

Riku leaned back, crossing his ankle over the other. Ah, this surely was a good show—and it was getting more interesting by the minute. Sora continued to yell at his mother, and his language became increasingly explicit as he did so. Riku chuckled softly. Sora was cuteness in a bottle.

"RIKU!!" Sora called out to Riku, his voice desperate.

"What is it, Sora dearest?" Riku asked, batting his eyelashes.

Sora stared at Riku. He then blinked. And he blinked again. "Don't do that. You're fuckin' scarin' me. You're reminding me of some seductive housewife or something." Sora shook his head, attempting to get the image of Riku in an old '50's housewife dress out of his head. He _seriously_ did not need to have that image in his head. Riku should never dress up in a dress. **Ever**. "Anyway, Riku, I need you to now get me hot water. _Really_ hot water, 'kay?"

Riku sighed, and trudged off to get the water, shuffling his feet. He came back in a few minutes, and Sora grinned gleefully. "Thanks, Riku," said Sora, flashing him a dazzling smile.

Riku sighed dreamily as he walked back to his bag of chips. That was truly a beautiful sight. Every smile of Sora's—was precious to him. Riku could not love him more. Or at least, Riku thought that was impossible. Riku munched on his chips, watching as Sora dumped the bucket of hot water on Sonja. She mumbled something inaudible, something that sounded oddly like: "Ah, what a nice spa," but one could not be too sure. Riku shook his head. Cloud may be a heavy sleeper, and Roxas was worse—and honestly, Sora seemed to be the worst of the bunch—but whom did they get this from? Why, Sonja of course, because she could still sleep during an earthquake, for goodness' sake.

"Oh, why won't you wake up, dammit?!" Sora yelled, frustrated. He gripped his head with his hands. Well, he at least _attempted_ to grip his head with _both_ hands, but ultimately just ended up pulling Sonja over to roll on top of him. "GACK! Oh my fucking—1" Sora was cut off as Sonja snored loudly. "Geez! Get offa me, already!" Sora attempted to push Sonja off, but to no avail. It was futile, in a word.

Riku stood up from his precious chips yet again, chuckling slightly. He pushed Sonja off of Sora, and Sora sighed in relief. "Thanks, Riku," said Sora.

"No problem," said Riku. "So what are you planning to do now?"

"I…I'll have to think about it."

As Sora pondered over how he would wake up in mother in an evil way, something stirred in a bush nearby. Of course, Riku and Sora were oblivious to this, for they were paying too much attention to Sonja and how they would manage to wake her up. Sora wanted to be unstuck, damn it!

"What is Sora darling doing?" Kairi asked herself. Yes, it was Kairi; Kairi, the crazy; Kairi who was currently stalking Sora, and believed that he was her boyfriend. She really was a crazy gal. She talked to herself, too. "Oh, my goodness!" she suddenly exclaimed, gasping slightly. "Is Sora stuck to my future mother-in-law, Sonja? Why…however did that happen?" Kairi leaned in for a closer look. "And who is Sora talking to?" she added in a whisper. Kairi was quite confused, indeed.

"All right, Riku—it's now time for plan B," Sora suddenly announced, the look of vengeance in his blue eyes.

Riku laughed nervously. "Ahem, Sora…isn't it plan _C_? You've already tried two different things."

Sora cleared his throat, the vengeance gone for a mere moment. "All right then, plan C. Go and get me some ice cubes. Surely if we put them down the back of her shirt—she'll wake up."

Riku did so; but yet again, it did not work. Sora looked like he was about to crack up. So then they tried plan D. Plan was set off firecrackers around Sonja (on the side that would not be by Sora). Sora plugged up his ears at the loud noise; Riku ran for cover in a bush: the bush right beside Kairi's, though Riku did not notice her. He peered out of the bush he was hiding in, as did Kairi. Yet again, Sonja did not awaken from her slumber. Sora really _was_ going to lose his mind now. And so then plan E went underway. It was to get a CD player and crank up AC/DC's "Shook Me All Night Long" to the max. Sora had to get earplugs for this one. But once more, this plan resulted in failure.

"Oh, and she thinks _I'M_ hard to get up!" Sora shouted. "How does she manage to wake up every day before me if she can't get up no matter **WHAT** I do?!"

Just then, a ringing sound was heard. Sora stared down at Sonja, quizzical. It would appear that an alarm clock beside her had just gone off, which Sora had failed to see before. It rang only twice, before Sonja placed her hand on top of it, shutting it up. She then yawned at sat up, rubbing at her eyes. She turned to Sora and said, "Good morning," before she yawned again.

Sora fainted.

* * *

Sora woke up to a bucket of ice cold water being splash on his face. Obviously, he shot up like a light. He shook his head wildly back and forth, getting water everywhere. 

Sonja tsked. "Sora, how could you go and knock out like that for a such a long time? Honestly, you go out like a log when you sleep—or faint, whatever." Sonja shrugged her shoulders in a nonchalant way. "Anyway, Sora, chup chup. It's time we go to the store to get this glue off, no? Yes, being stuck to you is all good and fun, but honestly, you want to go hang out with your friends, right? So we might as well go ahead and do so."

Sora did not respond; he merely glared at her evilly. Nothing he had tried to wake her up had worked…! And now _she_ had been the one to wake him up brutally. How horrid could life be? Surely it was cruel. Cruel…too cruel.

But Sonja did not care if Sora spoke to her or not. Oh, no, instead, she merely dragged him along into the car, his protests getting louder and louder by the minute. She turned on the car and backed out of the driveway. Sora groaned in horror. If anyone was the worst driver in the world, it truly was his mom. She was known to drive on the wrong side of the street, speed through stop signs, and confuse the red light with the green light (though Sora wasn't entirely sure if it had anything to do with confusion)…and much, much worse. I shall not mention them, for surely it would be too horrific to even think of.

Riku sighed as he saw them leave down the street. What was he going to do when Sora was not here? Riku furrowed his brows when he suddenly heard a noise from behind him. His eyes widened when he saw the door shut. A burglar?! Sonja had left so quickly that she had left the door wide open. Who had just gone inside?

For a minute, Riku was quite scared to go in. What if he had a gun? And then Riku remember something…

_Oh,_ he thought, _I'm already dead._

So, of course, if he was already dead, it did not matter if he got shot. Besides, nothing could penetrate him, so the bullet would just go right through. Riku grinned in triumph. He could just spook the burglar away, and then when Sora got back, he could tell him how cool and brave he was, and Sora would swoon—and then Riku would win everything. Yes, Riku's cocky/insane side took over. He ran back inside the house.

He looked around; there was no sign of anyone. And then he heard a noise from upstairs. Riku ran up the stairs quickly. He then darted his eyes around to the different rooms down the hallway. All of the doors were closed? Where had that noise come from?

"Aww!" came a voice suddenly.

Riku's head whipped around to gaze at a certain door. It was _Sora's_ door. Why had the person gone in_ there_ of all places? Riku was quite confused, indeed. Either way, Riku walked over to it and opened it, squeezing through. What his eyes laid on…he would have never guessed it in a million years.

"KAIRI!!!" he shouted, falling over.

Kairi's ears perked up. "Did someone just call my name?" she asked.

Riku began to panic now. Could she see him? She looked around, and looked directly at Riku, staring right through him. It would seem that that would be a no…

"Oh, geez, whoever thought it would be _you_ here?" said Riku, groaning.

Kairi turned her head around again, looking confused. "I could have sworn someone talked just now…"

Riku was now very interested. So, Kairi wasn't able to see him, but could she hear him? That was odd. Riku was so puzzled by this, that he ignored Kairi for the moment. She threw herself on Sora's bed, inhaling deeply.

"Ah! I am finally in Sora darling's room! It has been too long since I have been here. Honestly, he has been acting to secretive lately—and he keeps ignoring me. I am beginning to think Sora now has an imaginary friend. For I see him talking to himself when no one is there, and I also don't understand why he wouldn't be spending more time with me."

Riku's head whipped around to look at Kairi, whom was currently lying on his bed! His _BED_, people! Obviously, this was a crime. A crime against humanity—and all that is good and holy. The only other person allowed on Sora's bed besides Sora, was Riku! Kairi was not allowed…to be there! "Get off of there now!" Riku yelled, frustrated.

Kairi snapped up, her eyes widening. "W-who said that?!"

Riku grinned evilly. Oh, was he going to have some fun. _BOY_, was he going to have some fun… He cleared his throat. "Kairi, this is your conscience."

"My conscience is a boy?" asked Kairi, bewildered.

"Don't ask questions!" Riku ordered.

"Y-yes, sir!" stuttered Kairi.

Riku would have laughed evilly, but then he realized Kairi would be able to hear him—so he opted for grinning like a maniac instead. It sufficed nearly as well, to be honest. Riku took in a deep breath. "You know this is not your room, Kairi—so why are you in here?"

Kairi smiled dreamily at this. "Well, you see—it is because I am Sora's girlfriend, and this is his room, so I decided to come up here and wait for him until he returns to carry me off on his white horse, and we will gallop off into the sunset, and he will finally make me his bride!" Kairi shivered at the mere thought of it.

Riku suppressed the urge to gag. The thought of Kairi marrying Sora was honestly too much! Oh, was it ever too much! Riku grabbed his throat, sticking out his tongue and pretending he was going to die. Well, maybe he wasn't pretending so much—it was real, after all. Riku thought he was going to die. Riku shook his head, finally able to get over the situation. He glanced at Kairi. She was looking about the room again, acting as if she belonged in here. Riku cleared his throat, making Kairi jump a little. "Kairi," said Riku, "Sora is not your boyfriend. You only _think_ he is. You two were once friends, but nothing more. Do you understand?"

But Kairi did not understand—she merely looked confused. "Whatever do you mean?"

"SORA is NOT your BOYFRIEND," Riku clarified, emphasizing on those words. "Do you understand now?"

"B-but Sora loves me," said Kairi, looking down at the ground. "We've known each other since we were little…"

"You have known Sora since you were little, that is correct—but he does not love you. He may have loved you as a friend years ago, but that feeling is now lost, for you pretend to be his girlfriend, and Sora finds it quite exasperating."

"B-but if I don't have Sora…" Kairi said slowly, her voice shaking, "…who do I have left?"

Riku was caught completely off-guard by this. He had most certainly not expected that, after all. "U-um…"

"The boy I really loved is gone—Sora's the only one I have left. What am I supposed to do?" And then Kairi began to cry.

Riku realized something—this wasn't the new, insane Kairi—this was the sweet little girl that used to be one of his best friends. He could not believe it. He thought she was really gone. …And he had called her such horrible things; Riku felt ashamed. But she had said…that the one she really loved was gone? Whom did she mean?

Riku shook his head—he had to say something to her, anything, really…he didn't want to hurt her anymore. "Kairi…you can still be Sora's friend, and it will do you good. You can rekindle your old friendship. Your love may be gone, but you will find a new love, some day—if you just keep looking."

Kairi sniffled, wiping away her tears. "Thanks. This is sort of weird, huh? I have a conscience, and he really, really helped me. It's weird—but thank you."

And then Kairi stood up, and walked out of Sora's room, and out of his house. Riku fell backwards, feeling incredibly shocked, saddened…and…relieved.

* * *

Now Sora and Sonja were nearly at the store, and Sora was growing more frightened by the second. Sonja was an absolutely _horrid_ driver. Sora thought he would surely be killed. He just hoped that soon they would be there, and he could kiss the ground and thank God he was alive. 

"Sora, we're here," Sonja announced suddenly.

Sora got out of the car, kissed the ground, and thanked God. He then spit—for the ground tasted absolutely awful. He made a mental note, reminding himself to never kiss the ground again. Ever. It was a most horrible thing, you know. He drank some water, attempting to get rid of the horrible taste. It didn't help, to be blunt.

_Gah, my life sucks,_ thought Sora. _First of all, I have this crazy stalker that used to be my friend; my brother is a pervert; my older brother is an obsessively over-protective brother; my mother is as crazy as they come; my best friend died, came back, and now he torments me; and currently…I am stuck to said crazy mother with glue. Yeah…I have a nice little life, don't I?_

Sonja did not just buy whatever she needed to get them un-stuck, she went around the store, twirling and waltzing (and gaining many stares, as well), and picked out several things—mostly unnecessary things, too. Sora smacked a hand to his forehead.

Finally, Sonja decided to pay, and the two went out of the store. Many people stared at them as well—for, well…they were stuck together. Who_wouldn't_ stare? It would certainly be hard not to. When they were outside, Sonja refused to use the solution—until they got home, anyway. Sora attempted to chase her around the parking light, trying to get it from her. Which, ultimately, was impossible. It was like a dog trying to chase its tail, in all honesty. Eventually, Sora had to give in—and they drove the whole way home…still stuck together. Sora was planning Sonja's death as we speak.

"She's evil," he grumbled under his breath. "Pure evil."

Finally, the two got back home (in one piece, miraculously). As she promised, Sonja unstuck them when they got home. And Sora felt like rejoicing. In fact, he did. He leapt around, praising…anything that had helped him get unstuck from the mad woman that was known as his mother. He hugged Axel when he saw him; Axel looked stunned. He shook Leon's hand enthusiastically; Leon just turned and walked away, muttering about the world going mad. He glomped Selphie when he saw her; she just glomped him back.

In the honest truth…Sora had flipped his lid.

He then ran up to his room, still in a damn good mood, considering he had been unstuck from Sonja for about an hour now. In Sora's mind, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, the flowers blooming, and the bees were buzzing. In quite all honesty, though, dark storm clouds loomed about their house, the birds took shelter, the flowers got drenched, and the bees had hidden away as well. But in Sora's eyes, the world was so beautiful.

When he got to his room, he found Riku there, on the floor, stunned. He had not moved…in quite some time, it seemed. Sora looked at him, puzzled. But then he smiled broadly once more. "Riku, isn't the world a most beautiful place?!"

"It's about to storm," Riku replied bluntly.

Sora's smile fell. "Hey, what the hell happened to you?"

"It's a long story," Riku answered, dumbfounded.

"And I'm a good listener—and in a good mood. I finally got unstuck, as you can see my insane, psychotic mother is not with me."

"That's…good news."

"Riku…"

"Oh, all right. Kairi was here, and she snuck in your room—"

"Oh, how dare she!"

"Hey, Sora, you said you wanted to listen, so shut up, 'kay?"

Sora pouted.

Riku continued. "So, anyway, as I was saying, Kairi was in your room, and before I knew this, I thought she was a burglar or something, so I came upstairs to spook 'em out—or something. Anyway, when I saw her, I was shocked and everything, and I yelled at her, telling her to get off your bed. She listened. Sora, how on earth could she hear me?"

"I have no idea, honestly…" said Sora, dumbfounded.

Riku smacked a hand to his forehead. "And so, anyway, she listened to me, thinking I was her conscience."

"What a dope."

"Sora…" said Riku, dangerously.

"All right, all right. I'll shut up, already. Please…continue." And at this, Sora bowed his head.

Riku rolled his eyes, and then cleared his throat. "Anyway, so…I decided to get through to her, you know? I didn't think it would do any good, or anything, but I thought it was at least worth a try, right? Well, so I told her you're not her boyfriend, and that she and you were friends when you were younger—and that she should try and be your friend again. I thought she'd yell at me, or tell me that I didn't know anything—that she was clearly your girlfriend, but she began to cry…and I suddenly felt…ashamed."

Sora was quite stunned, to be brutally honest. He did not know what to say—he had most certainly not expected this. It was very…peculiar. He could not think straight. Kairi…was actually crying?

"She said that," Riku's voice broke Sora out of his thoughts, "the one she loved was gone, and that if she didn't have you, who did she have left? And then she left. She was the old Kairi, Sora—I think I finally broke through to her. But I feel so…bad. Try and be good friends with her, okay? She really…_really_ needs a good friend right now."

"Are you…serious?" Sora asked, very quietly.

Riku nodded, saying, "Yeah…I wouldn't lie to you, Sora."

Sora was silent. He did not know what to say. He had never expected…in all his wildest dreams that something like this would happen; but then again, he had never expected his best friend to come back as an angel. Goes to show how far unexpected surprises can go, huh?

"Excuse me," said Sora, walking out of the room.

He had a feeling…he knew where Kairi was.

* * *

And he was right. 

Sora spotted her in the distance, sitting on a swing at the abandoned playground. They had often played there…when they were younger. Sora had just had an immense hunch that she was here, and he most certainly was right.

"Kairi," said Sora softly, approaching her.

"Sora?" she sounded disbelieving.

"Yeah…it's me," he reassured her. "Is there anything…you want to talk about?"

There was silence for a moment, and then Kairi said, "I'm sorry…Sora. For all the things I've done—I must be some sort of terrible friend, aren't I? Will you ever find it in your heart…to forgive me?" Her voice was quiet, sad, distant—Sora could not remember the last time he had seen Kairi like this…

"Kairi…you're not a terrible person, and I have never thought that. If anything...I wonder if you'll find it in your heart to forgive me. I was a horrible friend. I know…Riku's death hit you horribly as well, just as hard as it hit me, and I wasn't there for you, and so…you dealt with it in a different way. And I am so sorry…for all the terrible things I said to you. Will you ever find it in your heart to forgive _me_?"

"Of course I will, Sora." And Kairi finally turned her head to look at Sora her violet eyes shining with unshed tears. "Can we go back…to the way things used to be?"

"Of course."

* * *

"Axel, this is honestly the dumbest idea you have ever thought up," Roxas complained, trudging over towards the redheaded.

"Why?" asked Axel, curious.

"Because it is. Why on earth would you want to swim…in someone else's pool?! We live on an island! There's an ocean surrounding us! And beside, this pool doesn't belong to you! There is no way I'm getting in."

"Why not?" asked Axel, just as curious.

"Because…you. Are. Insane!" Roxas shouted, waving his arms around in a crazy manner for emphasis.

Axel merely laughed as he dove in. "Aw, don't worry about it, Roxy. It's not that bad, really."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not."

"It is!"

"It's not!"

"I won't get in that damn pool!"

"Get in the damn pool!" Axel shouted.

And…it would seem, that since the two were shouting so loud, someone from inside the house heard them, and was heading toward the door to come out. Axel panicked and jumped out of the pool, running like hell—Roxas quickly followed after him.

Once they were far off and safe, Roxas turned to Axel, a semi-smug expression on his face. "I told you so."

"You did not."

…And so…it continued.

* * *

Word traveled fast, and it had only been one day since Kairi had been told off by her 'conscience', but everyone by now already seemed to know about it. Obviously, Sonja was well pleased by this, and she then said that she and Sora had her blessing. Sora rolled his eyes at this. His mother made absolutely no sense 97 percent of the time…which was almost always.

Many people were still in disbelief—for the past few years, Kairi had been known as the "crazy" girl of Destiny Islands, and it felt very strange that she would have changed…just like that.

But honestly, Sora could not be happier. After all, his next best friend after Riku was Kairi, and he was quite happy by this. So happy, indeed, that Riku began to feel like he was being ignored. He was sitting on Sora's bed, contemplative and sulking. Now, Riku did not sulk often, and when he did, it surely meant it was big. He stared up at the ceiling—the flamingo with sunglasses nowhere to be seen, Sora had made sure of that. Riku sighed as he rolled on his side.

"Sora…I miss you so damn much." And then Riku came to a horrible realization. "You…you don't love Kairi, do you?!"

On cue, the door opened, and Sora walked in, sitting down in his desk chair. "Whew. I'm beat." He shook his head wildly back and forth. He then yawned. "Kairi and I…did a lot of things today."

"Oh, yeah?" said Riku bitterly.

Sora was oblivious, though, and he did not catch the bitterness behind Riku's tone. "Yeah, a lot of stuff, Riku."

"Do you…hate me?" Riku hated _himself_ for letting that slip out. He was so darn stupid he could not even believe it.

Sora looked alarmed by this. "What the hell are you talking about? You're joking, right?"

Riku shook his head, his cheeks heating. He had made…such an idiot of himself in front of Sora. He felt hideous because of it now. Riku looked up at Sora, meeting his eyes. The brunet looked immensely serious.

"Riku, you know…you're the most important person in my life, don't you?"

Even though Riku knew he and Sora were best friend…he never knew those words would come out of Sora's mouth. It made him feel so special, he could not believe it—and he could not help but grin widely. "R-really?"

"Really."

There was silence for a moment, and then Riku said, "Ditto."

Sora smiled, but after a few seconds, he said, "Did you just watch the movie Ghost?" **(1)**

Riku laughed. "I sure did."

Sora smiled. He honestly…could not think of a better life he could be living. He just wished…that he and Riku could be like this forever—and that would be all he would ask for in this life; but Sora had the omnipresent feeling that he could not shake off…that something terrible would happen in the not so distant future.

* * *

**1 – **Ghost is a movie that came out in the 90's, about a man who was a ghost. Whenever his girlfriend said she loved him, he always answered, "Ditto." Bwahaha. I love that movie. And isn't it funny that Riku's an angel/sort of like a ghost and he said that? XD Maybe I'm the only one that finds that funny…

**Next chapter: **We take another trip back into the past to right after Riku dies, and he goes up to Heaven. He must learn to cope with a life without Sora, and learn to be an angel…but it's just so darn hard.

In total, I think there will be three flashback chapters. Chapter four was the first one, and the 12th one will be the next one. There will be one more, if I am correct.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it again! Thank you all for stickin' by me! And remember, a **review** always makes me smile! And if you all have any **ideas** you'd like to see in the story, just drop 'em in your review. I'd love to hear them—and perhaps use them, too! XD Until next time:)


	12. Remembrance: You're My Angel

Hey, guys! I'm back yet again. Thankfully, it only took two weeks--I thought it would take longer. XD Anyway, this chapter will be using the lyrics from a song by Aerosmith, "Angel", because it fits perfectly, and I also planned it from the beginning. :D Well, I don't own it either, so let's not even go there... oO Oh, and I posted a new story:D It's a Zemyx fic, if you want to check it out. :)

**Summary:** Sora Hikari is a normal 16-year-old trying to survive through school, friends, crazed ex-girlfriends (or they _think_ they were his girlfriend) and stalkers. Or at least he thinks he is normal…

**Disclaimer:**_Cough_Iownkingdomhearts_Cough _Ahem…yeah right. –Sighs-

**Warning:** This fic will contain **yaoi** (boyxboy love). If you do not care for boyxboy love, I suggest you leave. This fic will also contain **language**.

**Reviews:** Thanks so much for all your sweet comments. I love you all. Keep leavin' me reviews, and I'll keep leavin' chapters. XD

**A/N:**Okay, as I said before, this chapter is in the past…right after Riku died. It's a mostly angst/drama-filled chapter, but even though this story is a comedy, it has a lot of different genres. LOL. I hope you all enjoy it! It took me a long time to write, but I'm really happy with how it came out.

* * *

I'll Be There for You - Chapter 12. Remembrance: You're My Angel

-o-

"_In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on. -- _**Robert Frost**

* * *

The last thing he could remember…was the loud thunder and the pouring rain…and the bright lights…and the blue eyes—the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen, and they knew him…they knew him so well; and then everything went black.

* * *

Riku's eyes fluttered open. He was surrounded by white. Everything around him was white. He had never seen so much white in his life. He was lying down; he sat up and looked around himself. Was he…on a cloud? He surely must be dreaming, there was no way he could be on a cloud. First and foremost, humans could not fly, and besides that, if even if they _could_ fly, you most certainly would not be able to lie down on a cloud! 

"Where…am I?" Riku mumbled to himself, as he continued to look around. Clouds were everywhere. Was he dreaming he was up in the sky? What…was this place?

He saw something off in the distance; Riku squinted his eyes, trying to figure out what it was. It was coming closer. It looked to be white, too. What was it? Riku's aquamarine eyes widened when he realized that it was a person—well, not really a person. They had wings—so that must have meant it was an angel. "Where am I?" Riku repeated to the angel. "What…happened to…me?"

"Riku, you are dead, and this is Heaven," the angel explained.

"I'm dreaming," said Riku immediately. There was no way he was dead. This was all just a dream, just a bad dream. Although, it could be worse…he could in Hell or something. At least he wasn't dreaming_that_.

"You are not dreaming, Riku. This is Heaven, and you are now one of us—an angel. You have wings on your back."

Riku laughed. "Are you crazy, winged-man? I don't have any wings! Haha. This dream is funny, I think I like it."

"Look in the mirror," ordered the angel.

"See, this proves this is just some wacky dream. I don't have wings, and there is no mirror anywhere here."

The angel merely titled his head to his left; Riku glanced over there. Seemingly out of nowhere, there was suddenly a mirror. Riku furrowed his brows, puzzled. Where had that come from? Well, this was a dream. He supposed anything could happen. But this really _was_ a bizarre dream. Riku stood up, walking to the mirror. He stared at it, and sure enough, there was his reflection—and he most definitely had wings. White wings. But they had the slightest shade of silver at the end, which ultimately had a hint of aquamarine at the tips. He had wings. The angel was right. Was this really…was this really a dream?

Riku then laughed. It was not the carefree, easy laugh he had emitted a moment ago, but he tried to pass it off as that. It was different. It sounded…somewhat desperate, and nervous, not a nice laugh in any shape or form. "So what if I have wings? You do—and angels don't exist! So…this is obviously a dream. It does not matter, anyway. I'll be waking up any minute now. Any minute now…"

A minute passed by, and Riku felt like he could actually _hear_ the ticking of a clock. This was madness. Riku rarely ever had dreams, and they usually lasted only a few minutes. Why…was he not waking up?

"Wake up!" Riku cried out, thinking surely it would do the trick. "Wake up!!" he shouted louder. "WAKE UP!!! WAKE UP!!! WHY WON'T YOU WAKE UP?! Why! Wh-why…why won't I…I wa-wake—wake up…" Riku slouched over, losing his spirit and his voice. He slapped himself, pinched himself, closed his eyes and reopened them; but he was still here, and so was that angel, he _hated_ that angel. Why was he just staring down at him? It was awful—he had cold, gray eyes. He wished he would just go away.

"Riku, as I have already told you, you are dead," the angel finally spoke. "Do you not remember…what happened?"

Riku did not answer; he merely shut his mouth tight, refusing to speak.

Since Riku did not speak, the angel spoke instead. "Riku, you died. It was storming and dark, and you and your friend were racing, and a person driving a car did not see you, and they accidentally hit you. You died because of that. You are in Heaven, and you are now an angel."

Riku's aquamarine eyes widened in horror—the scene flashing before his eyes. Sora's wonderful grin, the rain beating down on their bodies, the lightning illuminating the night, and the bright lights…the bright lights he saw before he was hit. And Sora was there, and he was going to speak to him. It was something very important, but he could not think. _That_ part of his memory wasn't back, anyway. "No…" Riku's voice came out strained and hoarse. "I'm not dead. It didn't happen! I'm not really here! This is just some illusion! I'm still—I'm still on Destiny Islands, and I'm still with Sora! Sora! Sora! My precious…my precious Sora."

For a long moment, not a word was spoken, and then, "I am sorry, Riku, but it is true. Your friend Sora will join you in time."

"DON'T TALK ABOUT SORA DYING!!" Riku shouted, enraged. "Don't ever talk about him that way! Sora will not die—I don't care if I'm not with him, I just want him to—t-to—to live on. He _has_ to."

"Riku, I understand you're upset, but you must listen to me—"

"I won't listen to you! Now leave me alone! I want Sora! I miss him! He…he was my best friend! I'll never be happy here, as long as I don't have Sora! So just go away!"

At first, the angel did not leave.

Riku then shouted, "LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"

The angel did leave this time, and as soon as he was out of sight, Riku fell back on the cloud, and wept quietly.

* * *

A week had gone by, and Riku was still unwilling to accept the fact that he was dead. Every night in his bed, he cried himself asleep, not wanting to be in Heaven at all, but to be on Earth, with Sora and his parents and his other friends. He did not…want to be here. He felt lonesome here. The other angels tried to talk to him, but Riku would just ignore them. Riku pulled his knees up to his chest, as he rested his head on them. He just wanted to…blot everything out. 

"Something's different about him," commented one angel.

"You're most certainly right. He isn't supposed to be sad or angry. After all, there are no tears in Heaven," added another angel.

"Do you know he cries himself to sleep every night?" said the first angel.

"Oh, my… The poor child," said another.

"But something is seriously off about him," the second angel spoke up again.

"He has unfinished business left on Earth," said another angel as he wandered over to the others. It was the head angel.

"But if you have unfinished business, you're supposed to be a ghost," protested the first angel.

"Yes, that is true. But there must be…something very, very special about him, for something like this to happen. We must give it time and see what happens."

* * *

They did give it time, and nothing changed. Several weeks had gone by, and yet Riku acted the same—straying into corners to be alone, never speaking to anyone, basically acting as if he could not do anything. And every night, the others noticed that Riku cried himself to sleep—and that was that. 

"Sora, are you having fun?" Riku thought aloud. "I hope you aren't sad, because that would only make me ever sadder. I…want you to be happy, Sora. I really, really care for you—and you are my best friend, I really, really miss you."

Riku began to talk to Sora frequently, even though he could not see Sora or be with him. The other angels got worried about this as well.

"Sora, what are you doing today? I hope you are doing well—I hope you are not sick or anything—that would be sad. Remember that time when I took care of you, when you were sick? You had the flu, and it was a horrid mess. But you pulled through—unlike me."

_I'm alone  
Yeah, I don't know if I can face the night  
I'm in tears and the cryin' that I do is for you_

A year had gone by since Riku's death, and not much had changed. Every night, still, Riku was unable to fall asleep unless he cried—and it was wretched. Riku barely uttered a word, though he had stopped talking to Sora, and the angels considered that at least to be one good thing. After all, it was not good for him.

"Hey, Riku, are you all right?" asked one of the angels, Aerith. **(1)**

"I'm…fine." Riku's knees were curled up towards his chest, and he was gazing off in the distance—not really paying attention to anything whatsoever.

"Riku, a year has gone by—we're really worried about you; it shouldn't be like this…you should be happy."

"How can I be happy?" Riku muttered. "I'm away from everyone! My family, my friends…Sora. "

"I know, I know—but you have to at least try, Riku. I really care for you."

Riku smiled slightly. The only person he cared for in this whole place was Aerith. She made him feel warm and reminded him a little bit of his mother. She was sweet and kind—and didn't act like he was weird or different, like some of the other angels did. "I know. I promise I'll try, all right?"

"All right."

And then, Aerith was gone—and Riku was left there all by himself once more. Riku sighed, gazing off in the distance. It was no use, really—he said he'd try, but he really did not think it would do any good. He had been here for a year now, and yet nothing had really changed. Yes, he didn't yell anymore, like he used to, but that was basically it. His heart longed so much to be back on Earth—he really did not belong here. No one did that died as young as Riku. He had been twelve…twelve when he had died.

"It wasn't my time," Riku mumbled. "I wasn't ready to die. I'm still…I'm still just a child. I feel so alone…I miss you so damn much, Sora."

That night, Riku didn't sleep at all—he just lay there, staring up at the ceiling, feeling…basically dead. He laughed bitterly. He _was _dead. He just continued to blink as he stared up at the ceiling. He did not feel tired at all, so it was useless to even try and fall asleep. He sighed as he turned on his side. He just wished…morning would come soon.

_ I want your love — Let's break the walls between us  
Don't make it tough — I'll put away my pride  
Enough's enough I've suffered and I've seen the light _

A few months went by painfully slow for Riku—basically everything felt the same as before, but he felt more… What was this feeling exactly? How could one describe it? Well, 'dead' was a word that came to Riku's mind, but that really was not it.

"I feel numb."

Numb. Yes, numb was the word to describe how Riku felt. He was cut off from the rest of the world, and he felt numb and dead. Why was he here? Riku would have rather had he just be in the dirt then there be an afterlife…he would have preferred to feel…

"Nothing," said Riku. "I'd rather be out of my misery and feel nothing…nothing at all. I'd rather be buried in dirt."

Aerith bit her lip, hiding. She then quickly floated away. She had no idea…that Riku was that bad off. It seemed like he was only getting worse, not better. She figured surely by now—he would be at least somewhat happier, but that was simply not the case. It was tragic…truly tragic. Aerith's heart hurt when she thought about Riku. When she—had died, she had never felt like this. She was just happy to still be alive (in a sense) and to be an angel. She had always admired angels as a child. And Aerith looked forward to the day when her parents would join her in Heaven.

Her pink wings were flying as fast as they could. She needed to find…the head angel. She needed to find him and tell her about Riku—surely though, he would have noticed by now, so why wouldn't he have tried anything yet?

She spotted him, and quickly flew towards him, landing on the ground. "Head Angel, sir!"

"Yes, what is it, Aerith?"

"Oh…it's…it's about Riku," she said, nervously.

He grunted. "Yes, Riku. What is it about him?"

"You don't seem worried at all!" Aerith suddenly shouted. "He's in distress! He's been here for a year and a half, and yet he hasn't changed! If anything, he's gotten worse…I heard him, just now…he said that he felt numb, and he'd rather be buried in dirt then be here…and wished Heaven didn't exist at all."

To be quite honest, Aerith had not planned to tell him what she had overheard—she was worried she would get Riku in trouble, she just wanted to tell him of her concern, but it had gotten out before she could even think—and besides, he had not acted worried at all, so that made Aerith anxious and worried...and she had sort of lost control.

"You know, you should not eavesdrop, Aerith," was all he said.

"B-but—sir, it was an accident. I was going to talk to him when I suddenly heard him say that. I did not do it intentionally."

"As you say."

There was silence, and when Aerith realized he was not going to say anything else, she said, quietly, "Aren't you…going to do anything?"

He stared at her for a long time. She looked so sad and distraught. He sighed. "Aerith, we must give it time. If he is still like this after…say, he's been here five years, we'll see about what we can do. But honestly, I don't think he'll still be like this. A couple other times…something has happened like this, they were sad and wished they were back on Earth—it's not unusual—but after some time, they got over it."

"If you…if you say so, sir."

* * *

Riku was unable to sleep that night. He just continued to stare up at the ceiling—barely even blinking. He just continued to think—never being able to settle down, even though he felt extremely tired. It was very weird…but this had happened before, actually. He remember one night, when he was unable to sleep, but then Sora called him—saying he was unable to sleep, too. They had ended up talking for a bit, and before either of them could even hang up and say goodbye, they had both fallen asleep. But tonight—Riku did not have Sora to take comfort in. 

"Sora…Sora…if only I could see you again—I've seen the light, I wouldn't hide it anymore—I'd tell you…tell you...tell you how I feel about you. But that will never happen, will it?"

Riku gazed off in the distance, feeling…numb, again. It seemed like nothing would ever get better. Riku suddenly sat up. Wait…maybe it_could_ get better. Riku just had an idea. Maybe…maybe somehow, he could get back to the human world. Was it possible? Honestly, he did not know…but he had to at least try, didn't he?

He quickly and quietly stood up out of his bed, and snuck away, passing a sleeping Aerith. He crept towards the edge of Heaven, gazing down. He then jumped. He didn't know where he would land, really—it could be Earth, but who knew? Maybe it was even Hell. But in Riku's opinion, Hell would be better than this place. **(2)**

He fell for a long time, and even Riku began to forget how long it had been. It seemed to go on for hours, until finally, he hit something. And he realized he was right back where he came from—Heaven. "No!" he shouted. "No! It must have been an accident or something!" So Riku jumped again, positive that he would land on Earth, but only the same thing happened. He did it again and again, shouting louder each time he did so—but every time he just ended up right back where he came from.

"No, damn it!!" he cried out. "I can't be here! I don't…I don't want to be dead! I want to be back home, with my parents and friends…and Sora… I want to see Sora!"

Riku fluttered his wings before he took off, straightforward. If he couldn't get back to Earth from falling down, perhaps he could fly back? He flew for a long time, and he did not know where he was, really. "Ow!" He suddenly ran into something. Riku flew back a little bit. There was nothing there. He flew forwards again, only hitting something again. He rubbed at his head, frustrated. "What the hell is it?!"

Riku banged his fist forward, realizing that it was some sort of invisible barrier. Riku's aquamarine eyes widened considerably. Why…was this here? Why couldn't he get out? Why couldn't he go back and see his beloved Sora? Why…was it so damn hard?

"Why?" he cried out as he continued to hit the barrier. "Why, damn it, why?!" He continued to hit it harshly, kicking it and banging against it, trying to get through. "WHY?! WHY?! Why can't I see Sora again?! Why?! Why?!" Riku continued to try and break through, but it was no use. "Damn it! I want to go back! Damn it! Damn it! LET ME THROUGH!!"

"Riku, that is enough."

Riku turned around slowly, only to see the head angel there. "Why should I listen to you?"

"Because—it is an order, Riku."

"But I want to go back! I want to see Sora! I want my Mom and Dad! I want my friends! I want to _live_!"

"Stop being such a whiny brat!" he yelled. "You are staying here—you are meant to be here—you are dead. You must realize this, Riku. There is no going back now."

Riku quickly flew back, not even daring to look at the other angel.

_Baby  
You're my angel  
Come and save me tonight  
You're my angel  
Come and make it all right_

It had now been two years, and nothing had changed, really. Although, Riku had stopped trying to break away and get back to Earth—after several weeks of failed attempts, he had finally succumbed to the fact that he would have to stay here…for all eternity. The thought of eternity was so big to him, he could not even comprehend it…and maybe he was a bit terrified to do so as well? But Riku had finally given in—he had given up, and he seemed even more lifeless and numb to everyone else than before. Of course, this caused uproar among the other angels.

"Honestly, he should be sent back to Earth! He doesn't belong here—just look at him," said one.

"I can't believe the head angel is just ignoring this," whispered another.

"It's obvious that he hates it here—he wants to go back and be with his family and friends. He is just a little boy," said another.

But the head angel paid no attention whatsoever; he merely ignored everyone. Even Aerith. And Aerith was trying to hard. She considered Riku as her friend, and she wanted to help him in whatever way she could.

Riku sat on a cloud, staring off in the distance. He had been thinking about Sora again, and honestly, all he ever really thought about was Sora. He was thinking… _I am an angel now, I suppose…I've been one for two years. I'm more used to flying than walking at this point. But when I really think about it…Sora is the true angel. He's my angel, and I wish…he would come and save me tonight._

"Riku!"

Riku suddenly turned his head around to see Aerith flying towards him. He smiled, but Aerith knew it was not a real smile. It was the smile he always put on for everybody—but she knew he tried—he tried for her. "What is it, Aerith?" Riku asked.

"Ah, Riku, I was wondering if you wanted to do something with me today?" she asked.

Riku arched an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Shh!" she said. "It's a secret!" She held out her hand to Riku. "Well, are you coming or what?"

Riku was skeptical, but then he took her hand, because he did like Aerith—and maybe he could do something to get his mind off his troubles, for once…after all, he had been here quite some time—and every damn day felt the same. Mainly, though, that was because Riku never did anything different, but don't tell him that.

"We're almost there!" said Aerith, still holding onto Riku's hand as she ran, Riku following her.

"Whatever you say."

And soon they reached their destination. Aerith sat down on the ground, her legs hanging over the edge. "Here," she said as she handed something to Riku.

"What is this?"

"A fishing rod, Riku," Aerith answered.

"Well, I already knew that, but why did you give it to me?"

"Because, Riku," said Aerith as she pulled out a rod for herself, "we are going to be fishing for stars!" she suddenly exclaimed.

"Fishing for stars?"

"Of course, silly—that's what I just said. Go ahead, try and fish for them! It's a lot of fun, trust me!"

Riku rolled his eyes. He had always hated fishing—but his dad liked it. For Riku, he didn't want to kill an animal just for the sport of it, or fun…or whatever. But he supposed, it was _stars_ they were fishing for. But how was that even possible? I mean…how could you catch a star?

"I caught one!" Aerith announced, smiling as she reeled it in.

It was a bright yellow star, like the shape that everyone believed stars were. It was shining brightly, and then Aerith placed it in a bucket, like you would if you had caught an actual fish. Riku decided to go along, and he cast his rod, and soon, caught a star, slightly smaller than Aerith's. _You know,_ Riku thought, _it's actually pretty cute!_

The rest of the night, they caught multiple stars, and it was a night filled with laughter, smiles, and joy—Riku could not remember the last time he had had so much fun. It seemed that Aerith had helped cheer him up somewhat, after all.

_Don't know what I'm gonna do  
About this feeling inside  
Yes it's true _—_ Loneliness took me for a ride _

A few more months rolled by, and on some days, Riku was happy, with Aerith—she was the only one he could talk to and trust, he did not care for anyone else. They always made him feel paranoid. And he knew they were always talking about him—it was driving him utterly insane. He could take it no longer. He spent many days with Aerith, since the day they had gone star-fishing, and he found that he was able to smile around her, and laugh, which he was never able to do around anyone else. And he thought this place was supposed to be joyful…he just wanted to get away.

But when he thought about it—he would miss Aerith, so he did not mind staying here for her—but only for her. If it were not for her, all he would be able to think about was Sora and getting back to Earth; and he had to say, it was a good thing that Aerith had distracted him some, or else he would have delved into the deep darkness of insanity, and would probably never return.

But he still thought of Sora often; that was true—nearly all the time, in fact. Sometimes, only when he was around Aerith, would Sora leave his mind—but every other day, every other hour, every minute, every_second_ he would be thinking of the brunet. He found that this feeling inside of him was growing—and he could no longer take it. He loved the feeling and yet he hated it—this wonderful feeling whenever he thought of Sora, but it pained him to think that he would no longer be able to see _his_ angel, and so…that was why he hated it as well.

He still felt lonely, many a night, and it seemed like, even with Aerith's help, Riku had really not improved all that much, and really—the change barely showed at all, because Riku only let himself a little loose whenever he was around Aerith, but not around anyone else. He just gave them the cold shoulder and was on his way—he did not wish to be around people that talked about him.

Stupid, gossiping angels.

Most of the time, Riku kept an emotionless expression on his face; the first few months he had been here, he had always cried or gotten angry—but not anymore, he kept silent. He no longer lashed out, he no longer sobbed aloud, where everyone could hear him—he kept quiet and attempted to be devoid of emotion. But when it came down to it…that only made them even more concerned.

"He's not happy at all," one whispered as Riku passed by. "He never smiles."

"I saw him smile, one," another angel spoke up. "It was one time when he was with Aerith. But that was the only time…"

"Yes, usually he has such an emotionless expression on his face. What on earth do you think is wrong? It has been two and a half years…"

But it seemed no matter how much they discussed about it, they could not come to a conclusion, but the head angel knew…he knew all along, he just never spoke of it. He wanted to give Riku time…see if it was really true, and if he really felt that way, and if it really was in his best interest…to send him back to Earth.

_Without your love — I'm nothing but a beggar  
Without your love — a dog without a bone  
What can I do? I'm sleeping in this bed alone_

Three years. It had been three years now. It seemed to Riku, like it would never stop. Like these days would go on forever—every damn day was the same. It never got better, and it seemed to not get worse—but it slowly was. Riku was being sent into a further oblivion than he even imagined. He did not realize it. He was beginning to even ignore Aerith. He just wanted to be left alone. Most of the time, he just pulled his knees up to his chest, and stayed in a corner, not speaking, nor was he moving. Not at all. He stayed completely still. If one passed him, one could even think he was a statue.

And Aerith was getting worried—and her worry was increasing with each passing day. Riku barely uttered a word to her, now, and she was concerned. So, of course, she went over to talk to the head angel again. But it did no good in the end, he just dismissed her, saying he would come around in time, and she should best just leave him alone. But she tried to talk to him, anyway. She flew over towards Riku, and knelt down beside him. "Riku..." she said quietly, nearly a whisper. "Are you…are you all right?"

"Am I all right?" Riku repeated, his voice somewhat hoarse-sounding.

"Yes."

"Of course not," he answered. "Would you just…would you just leave me alone, please? I want to be alone. Loneliness is my only friend."

"I'm your friend, Riku!" Aerith said surprised at how quickly her voice had raised. "Don't forget that!" And then she flew away.

Riku sighed. He had not really…meant to make her so angry—and she was hurt, too, he could tell. He felt guilty. She was the only one who had treated him kindly since he had gotten here, and she actually tried…to talk to him, and be his friend. He felt bad that had had drifted apart from her these past few months. He wanted to…he wanted to be around her, and smile and laugh, even if only for a little while—but it was getting just so damn hard, it was almost becoming unbearable.

He felt so alone all the time, and yes, it would seem like Aerith would help with his loneliness—and even though she was great, she could not replace his family, or his friends…or Sora. It was impossible for anyone to replace Sora. He could not imagine it. No one would ever replace the brunet in his eyes. No one was good enough. For Riku, Sora was perfect. He literally thought he was perfect. No one was better—he himself most certainly was not.

He sighed, pulling his knees to his chest even closer—wanting to just…disappear. He hoped if he squeezed himself tight enough, it would happen. But truthfully, he knew it would not. But he just…he just really wished it would.

Finally, Riku looked up, and slowly stood up, and flew around. He knew he needed to find Aerith, even if he didn't want to talk to her right now—he just really…he just really knew that he needed to talk to her. She was a tremendous friend, after all, and he owed it to her. He owed her an apology. He knew this. And then he found her. Riku watched her from afar for a minute, and then finally he had the nerve to go up and speak to her. "Aerith…Aerith, I'm so sorry—I just…I just miss Sora so much, that I don't know what to do, and it's been so long…how can I still have such strong feelings inside of me? It makes…it makes no sense! Please—please forgive me. You mean the world to me, Aerith."

"I forgive you, Riku," said Aerith. "I-I understand. I feel bad for you, and that's all. You're my friend. I don't want to see you hurt. I love you, Riku."

"I love you, too, Aerith," said Riku.

And then the two hugged each other. Riku knew, that if it were not for Aerith here, he would have completely slipped into insanity, she was the only sane thing in his life right now—and her friendship meant the world to him. He could not…imagine being here without her. It seemed utterly impossible. He knew he would have never come this far if it were not for her.

* * *

That night, Riku was alone again, in his bed. He closed his eyes, imagining that the brunet was sleeping there beside him. He hugged his arms around himself, trying to imagine that Sora was in his arms: sweet, lovely, beautiful…perfect. No one else could compare. But for some reason, it did not help—it did not help his loneliness. 

He only felt even more alone.

_Baby_  
_ You're my angel_  
_ Come and save me tonight_  
_ You're my angel_  
_ Come and make it all right_  
_ Come and save me tonight_

A few more weeks had passed, and Riku was beginning to feel slightly better when he was with Aerith, but as soon as she was gone, the horrid feeling of emptiness and loneliness reemerged within his heart. It was getting worse, and he did not know why. Was it because he had been separated from Sora this long? Was it really that bad? Why…why could he not survive without the boy?

"Why…?" Riku voiced his thoughts. "Is it because…he means so much to me, that I cannot move on? Even though it's been three years?" Riku laughed bitterly. "But in the end, it doesn't even matter." **(3)**

It seemed like it was just going on and on….nothing really ever changed. Every day was the same. Every day he had the same feelings. It seemed like nothing was ever getting better, even though Aerith was wonderful, Riku was slowly losing himself even more. He just wanted to get away. With these wings, he felt like he could fly away with them. But it was not really true. Trapped here—he felt like a bird in a cage. He could not…he could not fly away.

_You're the reason I live__  
You're the reason I die_  
_You're the reason I give_  
_When I break down and cry_  
_Don't need no reason why_

Four. Four years. It felt like an eternity. Riku was being driven further insane by the day. He never knew it would be this tough. This hard…this hard, being away from Sora. But of course, he really knew. Just like that time they had to be away for a whole summer. But that was just like three months, this was…this had been four years. His heart ached so, and sometimes, he did not even know why. Sometimes he wasn't even thinking about Sora, when suddenly, it felt like his chest tightened, and it was harder to breathe. He did not…he did not know why.

Riku was not sure how much more he could take of all of this. It had been four years, and yet he was supposed to spend all of eternity here? Riku could not even comprehend eternity. How could it just go on and on forever? Why would there be no change? It seemed all too weird to him.

He had still been aging. He was now sixteen, and he was now extremely tall. His hair had grown even longer, going slightly past his shoulders. His wings had grown. They were bigger. But Riku did not feel any older at all. He still felt like a hopeless child, trapped inside an angel's body.

"Why did I not see that car?" Riku thought aloud. "Why did I not hear Sora shout out to me earlier? Why did I have to ask him to race at all? Why? Why did it have to happen at all?"

Riku covered his face with his hands, closing his eyes, wishing everything would just black out.

But it would not.

He had tried many times, over the various years, but nothing came of it. He had never tried to escape again, for it was useless, and he did not want himself to get so worked up again, like last time. It was just useless, so why even bother? He was stuck here.

"I'll never leave," he said to himself. "I'll be stuck here forever. And with every passing day…I hate it even more."

It was true. He was beginning to truly loathe this place. The only redeeming quality, in his opinion, was Aerith. "Who wants to live forever, anyway?" **(3)**

_I sure don't,_ he thought.

Riku looked up at the clouds above him. "You were the reason I lived, Sora, and I would have died for you, if I had to—I would sacrifice myself for you, even if it meant I would end up here—and most of all, Sora, you are the reason I cry. I've cried so much for you it's too much to count. I cannot sleep…without it. I just will not be able to. I miss you…I miss you so damn much."

_Baby, Baby,  
Baby,  
You're my angel  
Come and save me tonight  
You're my angel  
Come and make it all right_

Four and a half years now, and it was all the same. Except for Riku's height. He was still growing.

"And that's all…" he whispered quietly, "that's all that's changed."

_You're my angel_  
_Come and save me tonight_  
_You're my angel_  
_Come and take me all right_  
_Come and save me tonight,_  
_Come and save me tonight,_  
_Come and save me tonight,_  
_Come and save me tonight,_  
_Come and save me tonight_

It had finally reached five years. "Five years…" Riku whispered to himself. "That's half of a decade. Where…where did all of those years go? Down the drain, I suppose."

Aerith had given up talking to the head angel. She realized that he would never do anything for Riku—no matter how many times he assured her that he would take care of it if it were necessary. But she just ignored him now, and did not even bother speaking to him again, well, at least about Riku, anyway. She and Riku still talked, but not as frequently as before. Riku said he often just…preferred to be alone, especially since he realized he had now been dead for five years.

Riku was sitting alone, like so many other days—with his knees pulled up to his chest. It made him feel comfortable, and maybe perhaps even a little secure, tightly hugging his legs to his body, and laying his head on his knees. He did not know what it was exactly, about sitting like this, but for some reason, he found it was the only position he felt somewhat…normal in. He was not sure…if that was to explain it exactly, but it made perfect sense in his head, even if it did not on paper.

So, he was just sitting there, expecting not anyone to bother him. The only one that ever talked to him was Aerith. He was basically a recluse now, and no one ever bothered even _attempting_ to talk to him. They all just figured he would ignore them, like before. But Riku…Riku considered talking to them, but only if they would talk to him first. He only wanted to talk to someone who _truly_ wanted to talk with him. That was all…

But something was different about today, you see. Someone _did_ come up and talk to Riku, and he had not expected it at all, so he was quite surprised.

"Riku?"

At first, Riku did not even hear. It was spoken quietly, and he was in his own little world, as always. But when his name was repeated, slightly louder, he did hear it. But he did not lift his head to see whom it was, so his voice came out muffled when he said, "What?"

"Riku, I wish to speak to you. It is a very important matter."

At this, Riku decided to actually look up. There, he saw the head angel. To be sure, he was surprised, but he did not show it in his expression at all. "Yes, what is it?" asked Riku.

"You have been here for five years now," he said.

"Yeah, I already know that," Riku interrupted.

"Do not interrupt me," he warned. "You have been here five years, and yet, you have not really changed at all, some minor changes, yes, but your heart still remains on Earth. It seems, that you have something left on Earth that you were supposed to do before you died, but were unable to. If you go back to Earth, and are able to do whatever it was—this mission of yours—you will be able to live on Earth once more."

"You're joking," said Riku, brushing him off. There was no way they'd send him back to Earth. It was ridiculous. It was ridiculous to even think about it. Honestly, he knew it was all just some big joke—something to make him look even more ridiculous.

"No, I am not."

"There's no way. You've got to be shittin' me."

The angel was silent for a moment, staring down at Riku, disapproving. "No, I am quite serious Riku. Will you do this?"

Riku's eyes suddenly widened quite full of hope. "Are you…are you really serious? You'd really…you'd really let me go back?"

"Yes."

Riku suddenly jumped in the air, letting out a cry of joy. This meant…this meant he could see Sora again! He could not believe it—he could not express how wonderful he felt in words, he said nothing, but cheered and cried out in joy, amazed and astounded.

"But Riku, you must remember, this will not be permanent unless you can complete your mission—do what you had to do before, finish your business, all right?"

"How much time…do I have then, if I'm unable to do it?" Riku asked, this news only slightly dampening his mood. After all, he was still quite ecstatic.

"I cannot say," said the head angel, before turning around. "Now just try and leave, like you did nearly four years ago, you will be able to do so this time." He then added, "Oh, and one more thing. Your friend Sora…will be the only one able to see you." And then he disappeared.

Riku was left floating there in the air, really…unable to think. It was honestly too much for his brain to process at the time. He would actually…he would be able to see Sora again! And his parents! And the rest of his friends! He could not believe it! But how much time did he have? He was quite curious. Well, as long as he would be able to stay if he were able to do his unfinished business, but what on earth was it? The head angel had not even said.

"Well, that's a great thing for you," Riku thought aloud sarcastically. "I guess…I guess I better get going. I can see Sora! Speaking of which…why will I only be able to see him?" Riku stopped flying for a moment, thinking. "Ah, well, it doesn't matter. I can at least see him. I cannot…I cannot believe it!"

And so, Riku was finally able to leave that day, and he would then be able to see Sora again…and everyone else. It was a dream come true. He never thought it was possible, but it had happened, and he could not be happier. He would finally…leave this place—and soon, he would see his angel, Sora.

* * *

**1 – **Aerith—I had always planned to use her in this fic, and she fit as an angel so well, I could not pass it up. She just seems like an angel, doesn't she? And no! There were no hints of RikuxAerith in this chapter, they are simply good friends. 

**2 – **Mind you, Riku did not really mean he'd rather be in Hell than Heaven. I think you'd have to pretty insane to have it that way instead. OO He was very…angsty when he said that. In fact, he's really angsty in this whole chapter, if you know what I mean.

**3 – **As I was writing that part, I was listening to "In the End" by Linkin Park, and the lyric just slipped in there! It's not my fault…it's such an awesome song.

**4 – **And while I was not listening to it, a line from "Who Wants to Live Forever" by Queen slipped in as well, it's the main lyric, really. I love that song…it's so beautiful.

**Next chapter: **Eh…I dunno, honestly. I have the chapter title, "Love Bites", if you're interested. I haven't quite figured out what will happen yet, exactly.

On another note, this story with be sixteen chapters, and will be coming to a close, soon. Thank you all for coming this far! Much love to you all! And as always, don't forget to **review!**


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